Life With Diabetes is Not Cheap

Filed in archive Information , Lifestyle , Research , Views on April 13, 2007

The other day I had an early morning chat with my neighbour and happened to discuss the case of a relative (50-ish of age) who has recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes: now having high blood pressure, hard time adjustment to the new diet and the cost of medicine, blood pricks, doctor visits.

Granted that diabetes is a manageable condition, but the cost of its management not only will take a lot of will power (in maintaining a positive attitude but in sticking to the new lifestyle dictated by diabetes) but also a LOT of money that will hurt anybody's pocket.

I really think that having enough financial resources to shoulder this condition has a lot to do with one's attitude in not surrendering the fight against it.

Anyway, as reported by Michelle Andrews at usnews.com, a new study entitled "State of diabetes complications in America" revealed the following figures:

[Taken together, complications from the disease accounted for an estimated $22.9 billion in medical spending in 2006; annual healthcare costs per person were nearly $10,000, almost three times higher than for nondiabetics.]

A surprisingly high cost of diabetes, according to the study's authors.

Well, life with diabetes is not a walk in the park, but it is manageable and definitely not cheap.

Going back to that relative with diabetes, she's now complaining of the regular visits to the doctor's clinic for the blood prick, I'll wait what she's got to say once the doctor suggests for her own glucometer.