Diabetes - Women in Indiana

Indiana

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that disrupts the body's ability to use or make insulin, a hormone that allows sugars to enter cells and be used for energy. Without insulin or proper insulin response, sugar accumulates in the bloodstream, which can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, vision loss and kidney disease. Diabetes was the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States in 2024. 

There are three types of diabetes:

• Approximately 90% to 95% of cases in the U.S. are Type 2 diabetes, which occurs when the body cannot use insulin appropriately to regulate blood sugar levels.
• Approximately 5% to 10% of cases in the U.S. are Type 1 diabetes. The cause of Type 1 diabetes is complex; evidence suggests an autoimmune reaction that destroys the insulin-producing cells in the body.
• Gestational diabetes can develop during pregnancy due to hormonal and physiological changes, and it affects between 5% and 9% of pregnancies. While gestational diabetes typically resolves after giving birth, it can increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life for both mother and child.

Additionally, prediabetes may be diagnosed when blood sugar levels are elevated but not high enough for a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Prediabetes can lead to an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. 

For women of reproductive age, diabetes increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Compared with women who do not have diabetes, women with any type of diabetes during pregnancy are at increased risk of preeclampsia, preterm delivery, miscarriage and stillbirth. 

In 2022, the total direct and indirect costs of diabetes in the U.S. were estimated at $413 billion including medical expenses and lost work. On average, individuals with diabetes spend more than twice as much on medical expenses compared to those without diabetes.

According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of diabetes is higher among: 

• Women ages 35-44 compared with those ages 18-34. The prevalence is higher with each increase in age group.
• Black women compared with multiracial, white and Asian women. 
• Women with less than a high school education compared with those who have a college degree.
• Women with an annual household income less than $25,000 compared with women with an income of $150,000 or more.
• Women who live in nonmetropolitan areas compared with those in metropolitan areas.
• Women who have difficulty with mobility, difficulty with self-care, difficulty seeing, difficulty hearing, difficulty with independent living or difficulty with cognition compared with women without a disability.

Additional risk factors for developing diabetes include having overweight or obesity and having a family history of Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is influenced by many risk factors that are amenable to change, such as smoking, overweight and obesity, physical inactivity and high blood pressure. Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and losing weight if you have overweight or obesity can help reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes. The National Diabetes Prevention Program includes an evidence-based lifestyle change program focused on promoting healthy eating and physical activity.

Currently, there are no known ways to prevent Type 1 diabetes. However, it can be managed by following a doctor’s recommendations for a healthy lifestyle, controlling blood sugar and attending regular health checkups. 

To reduce the risk of gestational diabetes, the Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends lifestyle interventions like exercise classes, education and counseling for diet and physical activity. For women of reproductive age with preexisting diabetes, managing the condition prior to conception and during the first trimester is critical to reducing the risk of adverse outcomes for both infant and mother. Research shows that diabetes-related complications during pregnancy may be prevented with a healthy diet, regular physical activity and medication modifications.

Diabetes management is critical to preventing complications. Diabetes can be managed through a healthy diet and physical activity, as well as insulin or oral diabetes medications. More information on diabetes prevention and management can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s diabetes webpage and on the American Diabetes Association's website. 

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening for prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes among adults ages 35-70 who have overweight or obesity. Additionally, the Community Preventive Services Task Force has identified effective interventions intended to prevent and manage diabetes, including intensive lifestyle interventions, mobile phone applications and team-based care for patients with Type 2 diabetes.

The National Clinical Care Commission report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services discusses population-level strategies for federal programs to prevent and control diabetes. The report emphasizes the need for federal agencies to promote drinking water over sugar-sweetened beverages, support breastfeeding and expand housing opportunities for low-income individuals and families in walkable areas with access to healthy food and green space.

Healthy People 2030 has several diabetes-related objectives, including reducing the number of new diabetes cases diagnosed yearly and reducing the death rate among those with diabetes.

American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee for Diabetes, Mandeep Bajaj, Rozalina G. McCoy, Kirthikaa Balapattabi, Raveendhara R. Bannuru, Natalie J. Bellini, Allison K. Bennett, et al. “15. Management of Diabetes in Pregnancy: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026.” Diabetes Care 49, no. Supplement_1 (January 1, 2026): S321–38. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc26-S015.

Herman, William H., Dean Schillinger, Shari Bolen, John M. Boltri, Ann Bullock, William Chong, Paul R. Conlin, et al. “The National Clinical Care Commission Report to Congress: Recommendations to Better Leverage Federal Policies and Programs to Prevent and Control Diabetes.” Diabetes Care 46, no. 2 (February 1, 2023): 255–61. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc22-1587.

Negrato, Carlos Antonio, Rosiane Mattar, and Marilia B. Gomes. “Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Women with Diabetes.” Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome 4 (September 11, 2012): 41. https://doi.org/10.1186/1758-5996-4-41.

Parker, Emily D., Janice Lin, Troy Mahoney, Nwanneamaka Ume, Grace Yang, Robert A. Gabbay, Nuha A. ElSayed, and Raveendhara R. Bannuru. “Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2022.” Diabetes Care 47, no. 1 (January 1, 2024): 26–43. https://doi.org/10.2337/dci23-0085.

Xu, Jiaquan, Sherry Murphy, Kenneth D. Kochanek, and Elizabeth Arias. Mortality in the United States, 2024. NCHS Data Brief, No. 548. National Center for Health Statistics, January 29, 2026. https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc/174641.