The Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2007
March 2008
American Diabetes Association
Diabetes mellitus is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. Diabetes also contributes to higher rates of morbidity – people with diabetes are at higher risk for heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, extremity amputations, and other chronic conditions. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) hired The Lewin Group to study the economic toll of diabetes. As an update to our 2003 study, The Lewin Group estimated the national economic burden of diabetes at $174 billion in 2007. This consists of approximately $116 billion in additional health care expenditures attributed to diabetes, and $58 billion in lost productivity from absenteeism, reduced productivity, permanent disability, and premature mortality. The study appears in the March 2008 issue of the journal, Diabetes Care.