Community Corner

5 Things to Know About Diabetes

Georgia ranks 33rd in the nation with more than 1 million suffering from the disease.

Joy L. Woodson, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge

Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in Georgia in 2006, according to health officials. For every two people suffering from the disease, a third has not been diagnosed.

As metro area Sam's Clubs prepare to offer free diabetes screenings this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., here are five things to know about the disease in Georgia.

1. The numbers. More than 1 million Georgians suffer from diabetes, and 350,000 people don't even know they have it.

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2. National ranking. Georgia ranked 33rd in diabetes in 2012.

3. The future. If current trends continue, one in three children will have diabetes.

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4. The costs. In 2006, hospitalizations from diabetes cost more than $288 million in hospital charges.The cost of diabetes medical care was more than twice that for a person without the disease.

5. The impact. For every hospital admission for diabetes, there were about 10 other cases where diabetes was listed as an associated illness, the Georgia Department of Human Resources reported in 2009.

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