Study Claims Twice as Many Diabetics in US Within 25 Years

Posted by James Hoskins on November 27, 2009 15:36

By 2034, the number of Americans suffering from Diabetes will almost double and the annual cost of treating the disease will almost triple to $336 billion.

Researchers at the University of Chicago have created a model of diabetes costs that uses existing data on the natural history of the disease and risk factors like obesity to predict how much the disease will cost in the future. The model, published in the Diabetes Care Journal, is designed to be used by government agencies to predict the direct cost of Diabetes treatment in the future. These figures can then be used when assessing the potential costs and benefits of alternative government policies – the kind of initiatives that could reduce obesity.

The study concludes that in 25 years direct annual spending on Diabetes will climb from $113 billion to $336 billion as the number of people suffering from the disease – both diagnosed and undiagnosed – will rise from 23.7 million to 44.1 million. The researchers conclude that “Without significant changes in public or private strategies, this population and cost growth are expected to add a significant strain to an overburdened health care system.”