The Cost of Diabetes

When you hear that someone has been diagnosed with diabetes, it is natural to think about how it affects the patient. Is it serious? Is it manageable? How much does it cost? Everything associated with health care has a price attached. Take, for example, $218 billion dollars - the amount spent on diabetes and prediabetes in 2007. It is a staggering number that will only continue to rise unless we reverse the current trend.

If we understand the full economic impact of diabetes, we'll be able to better address the rising costs and help ensure that resources are spent wisely.

The Economic Barometer research is truly unique because it provides, for the first time, a comprehensive cost analysis of type 1, type 2, prediabetes, gestational and undiagnosed diabetes, allowing us to put an accurate price tag on all aspects of diabetes and prediabetes.

Key Findings

The U.S. spent nearly $218 billion on diabetes and prediabetes in 2007.

Research commissioned by Novo Nordisk through its Changing Diabetes® leadership initiative.
Source:Dall, T.M., Zhang, Y, Chen, Y. et al. The Economic Burden Of Diabetes. Health Affairs. 29, (2); 2010.

The Economic Barometer consists of four manuscripts published in the peer-reviewed journal Population Health Management and one comprehensive article published in Health Affairs.

Research Team

The Lewin Group is a premier health policy research and consulting firm engaged for the Economic Barometer project, which built upon previous cost estimates they completed for the American Diabetes Association.

1. Dall, T.M., Zhang, Y, Chen, Y. et al. The Economic Burden Of Diabetes. Health Affairs. 29, (2); 2010.

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