5 States With The Highest Diabetes Rates In U.S.

Below you can find the 5 states with the highest diabetes rates in U.S. Diabetes causes over a million deaths globally and in the United States alone, over 30 million people suffer from it. For methodology and data source, please see 15 States With The Highest Diabetes Rates In U.S.

5. Kentucky: 11.8%

Kentucky has a major diabetes problem, which is why it is now working on a Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, which aims to increase the awareness of diabetes, and encourage a lifestyle which helps discourage type 2 diabetes.

4. Arkansas: 12.1%

It may not have the highest population in the US, but it is still reeling from the effects of diabetes, with over 360,000 people suffering from diabetes and 800,000 more with prediabetes.

3. Mississippi: 12.4%

Over 300,000 people in Mississippi have been inflicted with diabetes, and over a thousand annual deaths as well.

2. West Virginia: 12.7%

Diabetes is an epidemic in West Virginia where 12.7% of the population has officially been diagnosed with the disease. Remember that many patients don’t even know that they have diabetes, so this number will only increase significantly.

1. Alabama: 13.2%

Alabama tops the list of 5 states with the highest diabetes rates in U.S., an achievement it would definitely have preferred to avoid. Over 1,300 people die annually in the state from diabetes and over 600,000 people have the disease, with over 1.3 million further people with type 2 diabetes.

There is a direct relationship between poverty and prevalence of diabetes. Check out the list of 15 poorest states. Most of the 15 states with the highest diabetes rates are among the 15 poorest states as well.

See also 11 countries that consume the most fast food and 11 fattest countries in the world.

There are two diabetes stocks that hedge funds are primarily invested in right now: Eli Lilly (LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NVO). At the end of June there were a total of 24 hedge funds with bullish NVO bets whereas this figure was 51 for Eli Lilly. Hedge funds were also increasing their bets on LLY during the second quarter. The number of bullish positions increased to 51 from 43 at the end of March. You can get our free daily enewsletter and stay informed about the latest hedge fund moves by entering your email address below: