Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects the pancreas’s ability to produce the hormone insulin. Insulin helps regulate the glucose level in the blood. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the typical blood glucose target (before a meal) is between 80 to 130 mg/dL. With diabetes, the pancreas either does not produce enough insulin to go throughout the body, the body rejects the insulin that is produced, or it does not produce any insulin at all.

Approximately 1 Million people (12.4%) in Georgia have a diagnosis of diabetes with an additional 230,000 people with diabetes but are unaware. Between 2014 and 2018, diabetes was the cause for 104,098 hospitalizations and 154,761 ER visits in Georgia. The prevalence of diabetes in Georgia has increased by almost 20% since 2006 when an estimated 9.7% of adults had diabetes, compared to 11.4% in 2016.  In addition,  there are over 2 million Georgians who have pre-diabetes, a condition that can be prevented from becoming full diabetes through weight loss, increased physical activity, and better nutrition. 

There are 4 recognized types of diabetes—

1. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the pancreas does not produce any insulin and the person with diabetes takes insulin injections to regulate blood glucose levels.
2. In Type 2 diabetes the pancreas produces too little insulin or the body rejects the insulin being produced. This type of diabetes can often be controlled with oral medication, diet and exercise.
3. Gestational diabetes is when pregnant women have an increase in blood glucose levels due to the pancreas not producing enough insulin. 
4. Prediabetes is a condition in which the body’s glucose levels are elevated but not to the point of a diabetes diagnosis.

Are you at risk for Type 2 diabetes? Take the Prediabetes Risk Test  to complete a risk assessment to know your risk.

The symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination, excessive hunger, extreme thirst, blurred vision, fatigue and nausea. Constant blood glucose monitoring is crucial for optimal control. Uncontrolled blood glucose levels could lead to complications such as blindness, kidney disease, slow healing wounds, and even death.

Burden of Diabetes in Georgia Analysis 

 Identifying Georgia Counties for Diabetes and Hypertension Programming: Which would Yield Greatest Population Health Benefit?

The above documents were provided by Emory Global Diabetes Research Center.

2020 Georgia Diabetes Report and Action Plan

Additional Resources

Patient Advocate Foundation Co-Pay Relief - Patients

Patient Advocate Foundation Co-Pay Relief - Providers & Pharmacies

Page last updated 9/14/23