Americans need to take a look at themselves in the mirror unless half of them want to be diabetic\/pre-diabetic and spend $500 billion per year by 2020. These alarming forecasts were published this week as part of a study performed by the Center for Health Reform & Modernization, a division of insurance company UnitedHealth Group.<\/p>\n
The study warned that diabetes would account for 10 percent of healthcare spending in the United States by 2020 unless specific recommendations – outlined in the report – are followed. Annual healthcare spending for diabetes in the U.S. currently stands at about $194 billion for about 27 million diabetes patients.<\/p>\n
Diabetes is known to increase the risk of limb amputation, kidney disease, blindness, nerve damage, heart disease and cancer. However, diabetes is often avoided if people watch their diet and prevent themselves from becoming overweight or obese. More than two-thirds of Americans are overweight, including about one-third of Americans who are obese. About 17 percent of U.S. children are overweight or obese.<\/p>\n
Average U.S. healthcare costs for patients who do not have diabetes is about $4,400 per year. But that number jumps to about $11,700 for diabetic patients. If those patients have complications, the cost escalates to about $20,700. Aside from its physical effects, diabetes also takes its toll on productivity in the workplace.<\/p>\n
Previous studies show that the risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes doubles when a person gains 11 to 16 pounds of body weight. The risk is tripled if a person gains 17 to 24 pounds.<\/p>\n
Understanding this, the researchers with UnitedHealth Group provided four specific recommended solutions that can stop what one study author called a “diabetes time bomb” in America:<\/p>\n
1. Comprehensive lifestyle intervention<\/strong> 2. Prevent prediabetes from becoming full-blown diabetes<\/strong> 3. Better diabetes control through medication and care compliance<\/strong> 4. Public-private partnerships<\/strong> Deneen Vojta, a physician and senior vice president at UnitedHealth’s Center for Health Reform & Modernization, said diabetes is an “epidemic that is larger than breast cancer and HIV together.”<\/p>\n The UnitedHealth study estimates that 15 percent of 260 million adult Americans (or 39 million) will suffer from diabetes in 2020, while 37 percent (96.2 million) will be prediabetic.<\/p>\n
\nResearchers say that cases of diabetes could be reduced by up to 10 million with aggressive public health initiatives regarding nutrition and more extensive use of wellness programs.<\/p>\n
\nOut of the 67 million Americans who are prediabetic, about 60 million of them are unaware of it. Prediabetics need to be educated on how they can avoid full-blown diabetes.<\/p>\n
\nComplications can be prevented through better control of diabetes. Patients must be fully informed of the importance of adhering to the treatment plan, and be guided to do so.<\/p>\n
\nA solid public-private infrastructure needs to be built in order to provide widespread programs that help prevent and treat diabetes.<\/p>\n