This project was developed by The Bee and the Center for California Health Care Journalism, an independent organization devoted to reporting about health care issues that concern Californians. The center is supported by the University of Southern California's Annenberg School of Journalism and funded by the California HealthCare Foundation. Stories and research: Barbara Anderson / The Fresno Bee Research: Natalya Shulyakovskaya / Center for California Health Care Journalism
The problem
Every week in the central San Joaquin Valley, at least 19 people die of diabetes — and the death toll is rising. The disease touches nearly one out of every 10 people who live in the Valley — compared to 1 in 13 throughout California. It steals eyesight, burns nerves, disables organs. And it kills.
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Faces of diabetes
One developed the disease during a pregnancy 36 years ago. Another almost lost a foot to a bacterial infection. And another is on dialysis three times a week. These are some of the faces of diabetics in the Valley.
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Working on solutions
Programs such as a diabetes registry could help bring the epidemic under control, health experts say. But the high cost of expanding programs has been a barrier. The very scope of the problem is daunting.
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California causes of death
A searchable database compiles statistics from 2002 to 2006. Search by city or county, and by population type. Causes of death range from heart disease to diabetes to suicide.
Myths of diabetes
Across the USA
Cost of diabetes
For every $5 spent on health care in the United States, $1 goes to diabetics. In 2007, the estimated national cost of diabetes was $174 billion. A look at some of the numbers:
Care for diabetics: $27 billion
Care for complications of diabetes: $58 billion
Other diabetic-related costs: $31 billion
Economic effect of reduced productivity due to diabetes: $58 billion
Days of work lost: 15 million
Cases of unemployment disability due to diabetes: 445,000
Days of diabetes-related hospitalization: 24.3 million
Average cost of a one-day hospital stay due to diabetes: $1,853
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