 Diabetes Costs The US $245 Billion A Year Says New ReportMain Category: DiabetesAlso Included In: Public Health Article Date: 08 Mar 2013 Diagnosed diabetes cost the United States an estimated $245 billion in 2012, according to new research released by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) this week. The new figure represents a 41% rise in five years. In 2007, when the cost were last estimated, it came to $174 billion. A report on the research, commissioned by the ADA, was published online before print in Diabetes Care on 6 March. The study examines the increased financial cost, use of health resources and productivity that is lost due to diabetes in 2012, and breaks down the figures by gender, race/ethnicity, for the whole country and state by state. The $245 billion includes $176 in direct medical costs (such as hospital and emergency care, visits to the doctor, and medications), and an estimated $69 billion resulting from indirect costs like absenteeism, reduced productivity, diabetes-related job loss, and productivity loss due to premature deaths. The rate of diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the US, where nearly 26 million adults and children have the serious, life-threatening disease, and another 79 million are estimated to have prediabetes, a cluster of risk factors that puts them at greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Robert Ratner, ADA's Chief Scientific & Medical Officer, says in a statement: "As the number of people with diabetes grows, so does the economic burden it places on this country." The study finds that medical expenditure for people with diabetes is about 2.3 times higher than for people who don't have the disease and that the main driver of the increased overall financial burden on the country is the rise in proportion of the population that has the disease. "The cost of diabetes is rising at a rate higher than overall medical costs with more than one in 10 health care dollars in the country being spent directly on diabetes and its complications, and more than one in five health care dollars in the US going to the care of people with diagnosed diabetes," says Ratner. He also explains that one of the key factors behind the increase is that there are now many more people being treated for diabetes in the US than ever before. But, he also points out that while treating the disease is expensive, the main driver of cost is the increase in prevalence and the fact it is rising "dramatically". The report also shows that:
However, it points out the disease also imposes other, less obvious burdens on society, such as pain and suffering, the care provided by unpaid caregivers, and the costs associated with undiagnosed diabetes. Looking to the future, it doesn't look like the figures are going to level off anytime soon. "Recent estimates project that as many as one in three American adults will have diabetes in 2050," says Ratner. "These numbers are alarming and further highlight the need for our nation to address this epidemic," he urges. A study from the NIH and the CDC published in February, finds that the number of Americans meeting their diabetes goals - blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol - has increased considerably over a 12-year period. Written by Catharine Paddock PhD Copyright: MediLexicon International Ltd Original article posted on Medical News Today. Articles not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today Medical News Today publishes the latest health news and health videos for consumers and health professionals. It has a searchable archive of over 100,000 health news articles. < back to medical news
|
||||
|
news headlines 
email to a friend 
printer friendly 
sign up to newsletter 
Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Contact / Feedback
MediLexicon International Ltd
Bexhill-on-Sea, UK
MediLexicon International Ltd © 2004-2013 All rights reserved.
