Diagnosed Diabetes Prevalence by Year, New Mexico and U.S., 2004 to 2020

Why Is This Important?

Diabetes and prediabetes are conditions on a continuum marked by blood glucose (blood sugar) levels that are higher than normal due to defects in insulin production, insulin action, or both. Insulin is a hormone needed to absorb and use glucose as fuel for the body's cells. Diabetes can lower life expectancy and increase the risk of heart disease. It is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower limb amputation, and adult-onset blindness. People with prediabetes have blood glucose levels higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. They're more likely to develop diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Type II Diabetes and its complications can often be prevented or delayed. The great majority of those diagnosed with diabetes are diagnosed with Type II. Proper management of all forms of diabetes can prevent or delay complications. People who are diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes need to learn about their condition and build the skills and confidence necessary to successfully take care of themselves, with the help of their health care team and community resources. About one-quarter of people with diabetes don't know they have it, and most people with prediabetes don't know they have it. Unfortunately, people who are undiagnosed can't take steps to manage their condition. Data in this Profile are only about diagnosed diabetes prevalence, Type II representing the great majority of all cases..

Definition

Diabetes prevalence is the estimated percentage of adult New Mexicans 18 years and older with diagnosed diabetes. Age-adjusted to U.S. 2000 population (except for rates by age group).

Data Notes

• Percentages have been age-adjusted using the direct method and the 2000 U.S. standard population.
• Diabetes prevalence for New Mexico and the U.S. is a weighted percent. Estimates for 2011 and forward should not be compared to earlier years (please refer to Data Interpretation Issues, below). The break shown between 2010 and 2011 denotes that the data before 2011 and the data from 2011 onward are not directly comparable. Starting in 2011, CDC BRFSS included cell phones and used a different weighting method than in previous years; data from 2011 and years forward will be comparable. Nationally, an estimated 23% of people with diabetes were unaware of the condition (https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics-report/index.html. Accessed 03/30/2022), never having been diagnosed. The rates shown here are under-estimates of diabetes prevalence because these include only those who have been diagnosed with diabetes.

Data Sources

• Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey Data, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, together with New Mexico Department of Health, Injury and Behavioral Epidemiology Bureau.
  (https://www.nmhealth.org/about/erd/ibeb/brfss/)
• U.S. data source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Chronic Disease Indicators, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Data.
  (https://www.cdc.gov/cdi/)

How the Measure is Calculated

Data Issues

Health Topic Pages Related to: Diabetes (Diagnosed) Prevalence

• Chronic Diseases and Conditions
• Leading Causes of Death