DOC News September 1, 2005
Volume 2 Number 9 p. 6
© 2005 American Diabetes Association
Elevated Glucose Increases Health Care Costs
Elizabeth Thompson Beckley
Pre-diabetes is associated with higher costs for medical care, according to
Kaiser Permanente research presented at the 65th Scientific Sessions of the
American Diabetes Association (ADA).
A 9-year study followed 28,000 patients to compare the health care costs of
patients who met the 2003 cut-point for a diagnosis of pre-diabetes (fasting
plasma glucose [FPG] 110 mg/dl) and those who met the 1997 cut-point (FPG 100
mg/dl). The ADA decided to lower the cut-point in 2003 because earlier
identification of impaired fasting glucose and lifestyle intervention can
delay the progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes by up to 56%.
Annual health care costs for those with the highest pre-diabetes blood
glucose were 31% higher than for those with normal blood glucose levels,
researchers found. Age- and sex-adjusted costs were $4,357 for patients with
normal fasting blood glucose. Costs for stage 1 patients (FPG 100–109
mg/dl) were $4,580, and costs for stage 2 patients (FPG 110–125 mg/dl)
were $4,960. Costs for those with normal FPG were just $3,799 when those who
progressed to impaired fasting glucose or diabetes were removed, thus yielding
the 31% difference.
"If diabetes prevention can truly be achieved, earlier intervention
might be warranted," says Gregory A. Nichols, PhD, senior research
associate at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland,
Ore. "The application of preventive medicine techniques, through early
diagnostic testing and intervention, could lengthen lives and lower health
care costs when pre-diabetes is spotted."
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