Report: Diabetes cost US $245 billion in 2012.

USA Today (3/7, Payne, 1.71M) reports, "The growing toll of diabetes cost the nation a record high $245 billion in 2012, a 41% increase from $174 billion in 2007, according to new research released" yesterday. The American Diabetes Association (ADA)-commissioned study, called "Economic Costs of Diabetes in the US in 2012," provided an estimate of "the health care and work-related costs of diagnosed diabetes." Results from the study will appear in print in the April issue of the journal Diabetes Care.

        According to Bloomberg News (3/7, Wayne), "The report...showed that costs for the disease, which afflicts seven percent of the population, are escalating. In 2007, the association reported that the expenses had increased about 14 percent since 2002, after inflation." Bloomberg News adds, "The diabetes association's study draws on data including the US Census and claims filed in the Medicare program for the elderly and disabled."

        CNN (3/7, Wilson, Dengo) reports, "An estimated 22.3 million people were living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes in 2012, according to the new report, up from 17.5 million in 2007." Matt Petersen, managing director of medical information and professional engagement at the American Diabetes Association, noted some of the factors behind the increase: an aging population and the obesity epidemic. "Being overweight or obese is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

        CQ (3/6, Adams, Subscription Publication) explained, "The report...was released during a week in which the association brought about 200 advocates to Capitol Hill to lobby lawmakers to support care for diabetics." According to ADA officials, "as many as one in three American adults could have diabetes by 2050," a fact that "could have a significant impact on government health costs and the overall federal budget." The report provides a detailed cost breakdown on a state-by-state basis. Diabetes costs are highest in California. Florida's costs are second highest.

        The Portland (ME) Press Herald (3/7, 46K) focuses on the extent of the diabetes "epidemic" in Maine. "The study projected that nearly 101,000 Mainers – 7.5 percent of the population – are dealing with diabetes at a cost of $1.2 billion. That ties Maine for 14th among states with the highest rates." The Press Herald adds, "Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire – co-chairs of the Senate Diabetes Caucus – said the report should be a call to action." Also covering the story are HealthDay (3/7, Preidt) and Medscape (3/7).