Interactive Map Illustrates the Spread of Diabetes Over Last Decade

You might not realize it, but maps play a crucial role in studying disease. One of the earliest and best examples was a map of cholera outbreaks and deaths in 1854 in London. As chronicled in "The Ghost Map" by Steven Johnson, the work of Dr. John Snow in plotting the outbreaks helped discover -- and eliminate -- the source of the deadly disease.

Diabetes can be mapped, too. Starting with 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has mapped the prevalence of diabetes on a county-by-county basis. The map also tracks obesity, acknowledging the correlation of being considerably overweight and developing diabetes.

In addition to tracking the prevalence of diabetes, the maps also track related health issues such as eye ailments and renal disease, how many people report performing crucial care tasks such as monitoring blood glucose, checking for foot injuries and regularly seeing a physician, and risk factors for complications such as smoking, physical inactivity and hypertension.

Maps like these can help health care and public health officials track and spot trends. Mapping diseases or conditions that contribute to them also help determine where additional attention is needed to address high rates of a condition.

The 1854 cholera outbreak in London killed more than 600 people in a few short weeks. According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the US in 2006, forming the underlying cause for some 72,507 deaths. Tools like the CDC's Diabetes/Obesity map may help researchers find ways to reduce that toll.

Additional resources and references:

http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/DDT_STRS2/NationalDiabetesPrevalenceEstimates.aspx

http://labs.slate.com/articles/diabetes-in-america/

http://www.diabetesatlas.org/map

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-statistics/