Diabetes

Basic Facts
Diabetes affects the way the body turns food into blood sugar. Instead of changing food into sugar to provide cells with the energy to think and move, sugar builds up in the blood leading to levels that require treatment. Diabetes is diagnosed by a health care professional when a fasting blood glucose value is equal to or greater than 126 mg/dl. Diabetes can be diagnosed at any age and is due to many contributing factors, such as heredity, diet, activity level and weight. Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

Pennsylvania has experienced a rise in diabetes from 7.8% in 2004 to 8.5% in 2006. The rate in Pennsylvania exceeds that of the United States. Currently, Luzerne County specific data does not exist for diabetes. It is measured in the Northeast District County grouping with Lackawanna and Wyoming counties.