Statistics about Type 1 diabetes

Complication statistics for Type 1 diabetes:

The following are statistics from various sources about the complications of Type 1 diabetes:

• Lowering blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetics reduces the risk of eye disease by 76% in the US 1983-99 (Disease Control and Complications Trial, NIH, 1983-1993)
• Lowering blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetics reduces the risk of kidney disease by 50% in the US 1983-99 (Disease Control and Complications Trial, NIH, 1983-1993)
• Lowering blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetics reduces the risk of nerve disease by 60% in the US 1983-99 (Disease Control and Complications Trial, NIH, 1983-1993)
• Lowering blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetics can slow the progression of eye disease by 54% in Australia 1983-99 (Disease Control and Complications Trial, NIH, 1983-1993)
• Up to 24,000 diabetics lose their eye sight annually in Australia 1983-99 (Disease Control and Complications Trial, NIH, 1983-1993)
• Retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in adults under 65 in the US 1983-99 (Disease Control and Complications Trial, NIH, 1983-1993)
• Lowering blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetics significantly reduces the risk of high cholesterol in the US 1983-99 (Disease Control and Complications Trial, NIH, 1983-1993)
• Intensive control of blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetics increases the risk for severe hypoglycaemia in the US 1983-99 (Disease Control and Complications Trial, NIH, 1983-1993)
• Intensive control of blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetics often leads to some weight gain in the US 1983-99 (Disease Control and Complications Trial, NIH, 1983-1993)

Type statistics for Type 1 diabetes:

The following are statistics from various sources about the types of Type 1 diabetes:

• Type 2 Diabetes accounts for 85-90% of all diabetes cases in Australia (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2003)
• Type 1 Diabetes accounts for 10-15% of all diabetes cases in Australia (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2003)

Prevalence and incidence statistics for Type 1 diabetes:

see also prevalence and incidence page for Type 1 diabetes

Prevalance of Type 1 diabetes: 1-in-800 (NIAID)

Prevalance Rate: approx 1 in 800 or 0.12% or 340,000 people in USA [about data]

Incidence (annual) of Type 1 diabetes: about 30,000 annual cases in the USA; about 40 per 10,0000 children

Incidence Rate: approx 1 in 9,066 or 0.01% or 30,000 people in USA [about data]

Incidence extrapolations for USA for Type 1 diabetes: 30,000 per year, 2,500 per month, 576 per week, 82 per day, 3 per hour, 0 per minute, 0 per second.

Prevalance of Type 1 diabetes: 1 out of 800 people in the United States. (Source: excerpt from Understanding Autoimmune Disease: NIAID)

Prevelance statistics about Type 1 diabetes:

The following statistics relate to the prevalence of Type 1 diabetes:

• 1-in-200 to 1-in-100 (unclear source)
• 146,892 people in the USA 1996 ¹
• 483 women per 100,000 population have type 1 diabetes in Australia 2001 (Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• 528 men per 100,000 population have type 1 diabetes in Australia 2001 (Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)

Incidence statistics about Type 1 diabetes:

The following statistics relate to the incidence of Type 1 diabetes:

• Type 1 diabetes accounted for 28% of new cases of diabetes in Australia 1999-2002 (The National Diabetes Register, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)

Society statistics for Type 1 diabetes

  Costs for Type 1 diabetes: DCCT researchers estimate that intensive management doubles the cost of managing diabetes because of increased visits to a health care professional and the need for more frequent blood testing at home. However, this cost is offset by the reduction in medical expenses related to long-term complications and by the improved quality of life of people with diabetes. (Source: excerpt from Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT): NIDDK)

Cost statistics for Type 1 diabetes:

The following are statistics from various sources about costs and Type 1 diabetes:

• Estimated lifetime cost for Type 1 diabetes is about $190,000 in Australia 1993-94 (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2003)
• Estimated lifetime cost for Type 2 diabetes is about $25,000 in Australia 1993-94 (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2003)

Hospitalization statistics for Type 1 diabetes:

The following are statistics from various sources about hospitalizations and Type 1 diabetes:

• 0.26% (32,968) of hospital consultant episodes were for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 78% of hospital consultant episodes for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus required hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 53% of hospital consultant episodes for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were for men in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 47% of hospital consultant episodes for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were for women in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 73% of hospital consultant episodes for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus required emergency hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 7.7 days was the mean length of stay in hospitals for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 3 days was the median length of stay in hospitals for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 39 was the mean age of patients hospitalised for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 59% of hospital consultant episodes for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus occurred in 15-59 year olds in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 9% of hospital consultant episodes for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus occurred in people over 75 in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 15% of hospital consultant episodes for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were single day episodes in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 0.29% (153,886) of hospital bed days were for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)

About statistics:

This page presents a variety of statistics about Type 1 diabetes. The term 'prevalence' of Type 1 diabetes usually refers to the estimated population of people who are managing Type 1 diabetes at any given time. The term 'incidence' of Type 1 diabetes refers to the annual diagnosis rate, or the number of new cases of Type 1 diabetes diagnosed each year. Hence, these two statistics types can differ: a short-lived disease like flu can have high annual incidence but low prevalence, but a life-long disease like diabetes has a low annual incidence but high prevalence. For more information see about prevalence and incidence statistics.

Footnotes: 1. Rose and Mackay, 1998, The Autoimmune Diseases, Third Edition