Improving Alabamians Health Through Prevention and Management of Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke

In 2018, an estimated 13.0% of American adults (34.1 million individuals) had diabetes, nearly one-quarter of which were undiagnosed. The prevalence of diabetes increases with age, resulting in 26.8% of individuals aged 65 years and older having diabetes. Minorities and individuals living in the southeastern U.S. are disproportionately impacted. According to the CDC, 14.8% of adults in Alabama reported having diabetes in 2020 compared to a national average of 10.8%. Though the annual incidence of diabetes in adults has been decreasing over the last decade, the rate of complications has been steadily increasing. The risk for complications can be reduced 20-70% through the management of blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Routine eye and foot exams can decrease the risk for blindness and amputations by 90% and 85%, respectively.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in men and women in the U.S., accounting for approximately 25% of all deaths. Risk factors for heart disease include hypertension, dyslipidemia, and smoking. In 2020, 5.3% of Alabamian adults reported having coronary heart disease compared to the national average of 4.0%. Approximately 5.1% of these individuals reported a history of heart attack (compared to 4.3%), 4.3% reported previous stroke (compared to 2.8%), for a combined 8.1% of the population (compared to 6.5%). In 2019, 36.9% of Alabamian adults reported having been told their cholesterol was high, while 3.0% had not had their cholesterol checked within 5 years and 7% had never had it checked. 42.5% reported having been told that their blood pressure was high.