A new report released Wednesday by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District indicates that diabetes now affects 1 out of every 7 residents in Bexar County. The proportion of adults with the disease has increased from 11.4 percent in 2012 to 14.2 percent in 2014, which is higher than the 10.6 percent average for the state and the national average of 9.3 percent. The report also notes that just under 1 million Bexar County adults are overweight or obese, or 71 percent of the local population. People with diabetes are at higher risk for other serious health problems including heart disease, kidney failure and stroke. Additional data included in the report indicates an alarming increase in the number of diabetic amputations, which increased from 1,758 in 2012 to 1,909 in 2014, an increase of nearly 9 percent. The scope and severity of the disease was placed in a global context by a report released this same week by the World Health Organization (WHO) indicating that the prevalence of diabetes has nearly quadrupled since 1980.
Get the fact sheet on Diabetes from San Antonio Metropolitan Health District
Download a PDF of the Express News article on the report