Diabetic Care Cost on the Rise

Diabetic Care Cost On The Rise

A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine reveals that in the last six years, diabetes drug costs in the USA have almost doubled from $6.7-billion to $12.5-billion, as more and more people are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and doctors prescribe newer, more expensive treatments.

The question is whether these newer drugs are more effective than older, cheaper treatments.  For example, Sitagliptin (Januvia) and Exenatide (Byetta) cost 8 to 11-times more than older, generic drugs like Metformin and Glipizide.  The new drugs being marketed for diabetes care certainly are more effective in controlling blood sugar than the older medications.  As well, doctors are using them more and more as alternatives to insulin use, which has dropped from 38% in 1994 to 28% in 2007.

With increasing numbers of people being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes linked to age, obesity, and lack of exercise, it accounts for as much as 95% of diabetes cases in the USA.    According to researchers, USA's diabetic population is expected to rise from 4% in 2004 to 7% by 2050.

As we age, our bodies stop producing the requisite amount of insulin needed to convert blood sugar to energy, resulting in Type 2 diabetes.  Another reason for the increasing number of diabetes cases is the consumption of calorie-rich diets combined with sedentary habits.

While, introducing new medication for Type 2 diabetes is an important health priority and newer medicines are more effective than the older ones, yet they should not replace the need for a healthy diet and exercise.  Making medicine cheaper is not the solution to the problem, what is required is to educate people on eating a proper diet and exercising to combat this progressive disease, which can lead to blindness, kidney damage, and heart disease.

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