Nearly one in five women 65 and older, roughly 19 percent, have been diagnosed with diabetes, according to federal health data that experts say should be a wake-up call for older adults and the families who care for them. In the Baltimore area, that translates into thousands of women juggling blood sugar checks, medications, and the long-term complications that can come with the disease. Local clinicians say regular screening and straightforward daily habits can go a long way toward staying healthier for longer.
Mercy Medical Center nurse practitioner Elizabeth Miller told WBAL-TV that women with a history of gestational diabetes or polycystic ovary syndrome are at higher risk, and that symptoms include blurred vision, increased thirst, and frequent urination. Miller and other Baltimore clinicians recommend keeping blood sugar as close to target as possible, staying well hydrated, and emptying the bladder often to cut the risk of urinary and yeast infections.
Federal data behind the numbers
The 19 percent estimate comes from national survey data that show diabetes diagnoses rising steadily with age, reaching about 20.1 percent among adults 65 and older in 2022. Those figures are summarized in the NHIS QuickStats tables in MMWR, which detail how researchers collected and analyzed the responses.
Additional background on how diabetes affects women specifically, including key risk factors and prevention tips, is available on the CDC Diabetes and Women page.
Where Baltimore fits
State surveillance tools allow Maryland health officials to break these national patterns down by county and age group so they can tailor outreach to local communities. Maryland’s MD-IBIS portal provides BRFSS estimates and other charts that clinicians and public health planners use to track diabetes in Baltimore and across the state. Community clinics and hospital systems around the city report expanding screening efforts and diabetes self-management classes that are geared toward older adults.
How to act
Screening with an A1C test or a fasting glucose test is the crucial first step for anyone who has symptoms or known risk factors. From there, the basics still matter most: healthy eating, regular physical activity, and weight management. The American Diabetes Association outlines practical guidance on prevention and day-to-day self-care for older adults on the ADA site…