Florida faces diabetes ‘epidemic’ as number outpaces national average, St. Pete doctor says

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The number of Floridians with diabetes is outpacing the national average, according to recent statistics, with a St. Petersburg doctor calling the disease an "epidemic" in Florida.

According to the American Diabetes Association, 11.6% of Floridians had diabetes compared to the national average of 9.4%. Diagnosed diabetes costs an estimated $25 billion in Florida each year and an estimated $327 billion in medical costs.

"Diabetes in Florida is epidemic," said Dr. Derek Hiltz, an osteopathic physician with Optum Health in St. Petersburg, adding the numbers are likely worse than indicated. "There's more than 2 million people who have diabetes in Florida. Those are people diagnosed with diabetes. There's approximately half a million people who have diabetes and are unaware and there are almost 6 million people in Florida who have pre-diabetes. So if you look at the statistics, it's almost 50% of people in Florida who either have diabetes or have pre-diabetes."

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Those statistics include patients with Type 1 diabetes, which often presents as an autoimmune condition from birth, and those who develop Type 2 diabetes, usually as a result of their lifestyle and diet.

Dr. Hiltz said people who have pre-diabetes sometimes to take their situation seriously, even though they still have a chance to reverse the condition.

"Being diagnosed with pre-diabetes, most patients will think it's really, truly not a big deal when in actuality it's a warning that you are about to have some major health complications," Hiltz said. "Diabetes affects all parts of the body with blood. So it affects your vision, it affects your vascular system, certainly the heart and its circulatory system. It affects your nerves. It affects your circulation in your feet. So every part of the body is complicated by diabetes."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 37.3 million Americans are living with diabetes, 96 million American adults are living with prediabetes and about 1 in 5 people with diabetes are unaware that they have it.  

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Hiltz said at-risk populations include people over the age of 45 and those with family members who have diabetes.

According to doctors the best preventative measures include daily exercise and a diet that limits the intake of carbohydrates and simple sugars.