More than 20 million Americans have one diabetes form or another. What’s even worse, a recent study projecting over $200 billion increase in spending associated to diabetes by year 2034, also predicts more than 40 million Americans will be diagnosed with diabetes by the same year. That’s awfully bad news in diabetes but Medicare will also have to face this diabetes development in America and the study estimates an increase of over $120 billion in Medicare spending by 2034.

This study was conducted by a Chicago University team using a Makrov model in order to project the future diabetes-associated spending in the United States of America by year 2034. The Congress hopes new diabetes preventing programs will help slow down the increase in number of diabetes patients and diabetes related spending. Dr. Elbert Huang was leading this study and considers it to be somewhat optimistic as it leaves out the increasing number of overweight children and teenagers at risk of developing this illness.

The most disturbing aspect is that most diabetes patients suffer from Diabetes Type 2 which unlike Diabetes Type 1 is a form developed over a long time of unhealthy eating and living habits. Positive changes in obese patients would have a significant impact and Dr. Elbert Huang’s model would probably show different results. Focusing on preventing obesity and therefore Type 2 diabetes to a large extent is most needed today.

Category: Diabetes