A new 12-page report published by Diabetes UK calls diabetes (all types) one of the biggest health challenges for the UK.
This report, Diabetes: beware the silent assassin (PDF) shows that diabetes costs the NHS (National Health Service) in the UK £1 million ($1.72 million) per hour, and causes more deaths that prostate and breast cancer combined.
If this is true for the UK (population 60 million, and 2.3 million with diabetes), you can image the impact in the US, which has five times as many people and about ten times more people with diabetes.
Diabetes is a serious disease with no simple solutions, there may not be all that much we can do in the short term to reduce the impact. Although page seven of the report does have some suggestions for reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
In my mind one of the key factors for success in diabetes management is having a good support organization. These days I can't recommend a better place for support than TuDiabetes.com. It's an amazing resource for sharing information and getting help with all types of diabetes-related issues and I wish many more folks with diabetes were benefiting from the site.
Today is the presidential primary day for many states in the US. And my good friend Manny has issued a challenge to the presidential candidates. Are they prepared to make funding for research and treatment of diabetes a National Priority.
This may not seem too important if you don't have diabetes. But remember that a recent study(PDF) showed that in 2007 the US spent over $174 billion dealing with diabets.
How much is that? More than was spent in Iraq supporting the military and dealing with situation there. Or about $580 for every person in the US, that's $2,320 for a family of four. For one year's treatment.
If you'd like to make your opinion heard on this, please complete the Diatribe survey about diabetes and its importance.
Oh, and do please vote in the primaries. It's important to make your opinion count.
The title of the interview is 'Living with (and paying for) diabetes'. When he was asked about what he's learned about the costs of living with this chronic disease, he answered
They're extensive. In some cases, some diabetics tell me the spend about $10,000 a year on this thing. You're talking about your blood glucose meter, you're talking about the test strips that are required for that (and I do as many as seven to 10 tests a day), but there are other things as well: you've got you're insulin, you've got your needles, you've got the lancets you need to poke your finger -- again 7 to 10 times a day -- and so you have a lot of fixed costs attached to a chronic disease.
He also talks about the $1 per strip cost. Maybe with his focus on publicizing the costs something may happen.
One of these days some company will wake up to the idea that they can provide accurate strips for $0.50 each and capture a big share of the market. I can't wait for that to happen.
The Diabetes Technology Blog is focused on using technology to live life to the full with diabetes. I review new diabetes technology including: blood glucose monitors; continuous glucose monitors; blood sugar meters; diabetes software and living with diabetes.
About Me
Name: Bernard Farrell
Location: Massachusetts, United States
I was born in Ireland and now live in the US.
I have had Type 1 diabetes for over 36 years. I struggle with my blood sugar, the same as most people with diabetes.
I wear a Cozmo 1800 insulin pump and a Dexcom SEVEN Plus CGM to track my blood glucose levels.
I'm blessed by God, and every day brings the possibility of a cure.
