The Surprisingly High Cost of Diabetes
Nearly 3 out of 5 of the 18 million Americans with Type 2 diabetes suffer from at least one serious health complication such as heart attack or chronic kidney disease, according to a new study. Taken together, complications from the disease accounted for an estimated $22.9 billion in medical spending in 2006; annual healthcare costs per person were nearly $10,000, almost three times higher than for nondiabetics. "We know those complications are out there, but the sheer magnitude of them was a surprise," said Daniel Einhorn, an endocrinologist who is secretary of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, at a press conference Tuesday announcing the results of the study, "State of Diabetes Complications in America."
Type 2 diabetes, sometimes called adult onset diabetes, occurs when the body either doesn't make enough insulin to move glucose from the bloodstream into the cells, where it is used for energy, or is unable to use the insulin it makes. Although the study covered all diabetes patients, 90 to 95 percent of diabetes sufferers have Type 2 diabetes, which is associated with being overweight.
People with diabetes were far more likely than the rest of the population to suffer from a range of health problems. More than a quarter (27.8 percent) have chronic kidney disease, compared with just 6.1 percent of people with normal blood sugar levels. Nearly 23 percent have foot problems–from amputations to numbness–compared with just 10 percent of people without diabetes. They were also far more likely to suffer from cardiac problems such as heart attack (9.8 percent vs. 1.8 percent), heart disease (9.1 percent vs. 2.1 percent), and stroke (6.6 percent vs. 1.8 percent). On average, people with complications related to diabetes paid annual out-of-pocket medical costs of $1,566.
The researchers, whose work was funded by pharmaceutical manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline, synthesized data from two large national studies. Data on complications came from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2004; while the cost figures relied on data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey from 2000, 2002, and 2004.
The risk of complications from Type 2 diabetes can be reduced through diet, exercise, and medication if it's diagnosed early enough. But many people with the condition don't know they have it. A blood chemistry panel can easily diagnose the problem, so people at risk should raise the issue with their doctors.
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