Diabetes Cases Multiply Over 11 Year Period

As obesity becomes a more serious issue for America's health, diabetes is definitely a complication. The disease is rapidly increasing, according to the U.S. government.

Approximately 19 million U.S. adults reported receiving treatment for diabetes in 2007 -- more than double the nine million who said they received care in 1996, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Diabetes affects how your body uses blood glucose, commonly called blood sugar. Glucose is vital to your health because it's the main source of energy for the cells that make up your muscles and tissues. In essence, it's the main source of fuel to power your body.

Serious health problems

When you have diabetes, no matter what type, it means you have too much glucose in your blood, although the reasons may differ. Too much glucose can lead to serious health problems.

Chronic diabetes conditions include type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is treatable but not curable, though pre-diabetes, when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes, can be reversed.

AHRQ also found that between 1996 and 2007:

• The number of people age 65 and older treated for diabetes increased from 4.3 million to 8 million; for people age 45 to 64, the increase was 3.6 million to 8.9 million; and for 18 to 44 year-olds, the increase went from 1.2 million to 2.4 million.

• Treatment costs for diabetes, paid by all sources, more than doubled -- rising from $18.5 billion in 1996 (in 2007 dollars) to $41 billion in 2007.

• Outpatient care costs also doubled from about $5 billion to roughly $10 billion.

• Total prescription drug costs increased nearly fourfold from $4 billion to $19 billion over the 11-year period. Per patient, the cost of prescription medicines more than doubled -- rising from $495 in 1996 to $1,048 a year in 2007.

 AHRQ, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, works to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care in the U.S.

The data in this AHRQ News and Numbers summary are taken from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a detailed source of information on the health services used by Americans, the frequency with which they are used, the cost of those services, and how they are paid.