Treatment of diabetes is a critical concern of modern medicine in the US.
According to the National Institutes for Health, in 2005, over 20% of Americans over the age of 60 had diabetes; and over 10% of Americans between 40 and 59 had diabetes.
Diabetes is the 6th largest cause of death in the US.
Diabetes is underreported as a cause of death due to the numerous complications of diabetes that lead to death.
The risk of death among people with diabetes is about twice that of people without diabetes of similar age.
Adults with diabetes have death rates due to heart disease about 2 to 4 times higher than adults without diabetes, and the risk for stroke is 2 to 4 times higher among people with diabetes.
