Nearly 13% of adults in Tennessee have diabetes. Only 9% in the U.S. do.
Diabetes increases a person’s risk of heart attack and stroke and is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, and amputations.
Tennessee has the 5th highest rate of diabetes in the U.S. according to the CDC.
While the number of people with diabetes in the U.S. is rising, Tennessee’s rate is increasing faster.
Here are the 5 counties with the highest rates of diabetes in Tennessee:
- Fayette — 14.8%
- Lauderdale — 14.6%
- Warren — 14.5%
McNairy — 14.5% - Cumberland — 14.1%
According to the BCBS Health Index, the health impact of a condition is how much it adversely affects the health of a population.
For type 2 diabetes, the national health impact is 5.5%. For the Tennessee counties listed above, the BCBS health impact is 29-70% greater than the national health impact.
Here are the 6 counties with the lowest rates of diabetes in Tennessee:
- Williamson — 8.3%
- Greene — 10.2%
- Anderson — 10.3%
- Rutherford — 10.4%
Jefferson — 10.4%
Loudon — 10.4%
Williamson County is the only county in Tennessee where the diabetes rate is lower than the national rate. The BCBS health impact of type 2 diabetes in Williamson County is 44% lower than the national health impact.
To find out where your county ranks, click here.
To learn more about diabetes in Tennessee, explore our Diabetes Health Brief.
Pre-diabetes
1.7 million adults in Tennessee have pre-diabetes (36%) , which means:
- Their blood sugar levels are higher than normal, and
- They are at-risk to develop type 2 diabetes if they don’t address it.
Find out your risk for prediabetes by taking this one-minute assessment.
Next steps
- Click here to learn about organized efforts to prevent diabetes in Tennessee.
- Read about Tennesseans fighting the disease here.
- Visit the American Diabetes Association for resources and information.
