Diabetes Growing in Number and Cost
The number of people with diabetes is growing in the world. In the United States the number of people with diabetes will nearly double in the next 25 years, and the cost of treating them will triple, according to a new report.
By 2034, 44.1 million Americans will be living with diabetes, nearly twice the current number of 23.7 million, according to a University of Chicago report released recently.
Diabetes mellitus — often referred to simply as diabetes — is a condition in which the body either does not produce enough, or does not properly respond to insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas. Insulin enables cells to absorb glucose in order to turn it into energy. In diabetes, the body either fails to properly respond to its own insulin, does not make enough insulin, or both. This causes glucose to accumulate in the blood, often leading to various complications. Avoid diabetes by knowing its causes.