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ST. GEORGE — Although Utah ranks as one of the healthiest states in the nation, cases of diabetes are on the rise.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 30 million Americans have diabetes, and what is true for the nation is also true in Utah. More than 200,000 people living in the beehive state have the disease. An additional 620,000 people or 32.7% are prediabetic with blood sugar levels that are higher than normal.
According to the CDC, 5.8% of the state’s population in 2004 had the disease. This increased to 7.7% by 2016. Approximately one in 13 adults in Utah has diabetes.
Uncontrolled diabetes can result in medical difficulties such as blindness, kidney disease and nerve damage. Diabetes is also an important risk factor for heart disease and stroke, as well as a leading cause of amputations because of the damage the disease causes in the feet and legs.
