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About 7 in 100 adults in the United States have diabetes.

That's about 1 in every 15 adults, or about 21 million people.¹

Heart and circulation problems are very common in people with diabetes. Up to 8 in 10 people who have type 2 diabetes either get heart or circulation problems or die from these problems.² If you have diabetes, you are 2 to 4 times more likely to get problems with your heart and circulation than if you don't have diabetes.³

In the United States, about 5 million people who have diabetes and are age 35 years or older say they have had heart problems or a stroke.¹

• About 3.5 million have had heart problems such as a heart attack¹
• About 1.5 million have had a stroke.¹

If you're a woman and have diabetes, your chance of getting heart and circulation problems is about the same as a man's.⁴ Usually, if you're a woman and haven't been through menopause (haven't stopped menstruating) yet, you have a lower chance of getting heart disease. But having diabetes removes this usual protection for women.⁵

These figures sound quite alarming. But remember you are an individual. No one can say what will happen to you. And there are good treatments to help lower your risk of getting these problems.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.