Diabetes Rates Expected To Double In 25 Years

November 30, 2009 7:13 a.m. EST

Chicago, IL (AHN) - The number of Americans living with diabetes is expected to double and the costs to the health care system could triple in the next 25 years, according to University of Chicago researchers.

Without a significant change in how many Americans eat and take care of themselves, the issue could further strain an already overburdened health care system, the researchers said in a statement.

The researchers said that the number of diabetes patients will shoot up from 8.2 million people to 14.6 million people by 2034. Medicare spending on the disease will jump from $45 billion to $171 billion, they predict.

The researchers also said that these predictions may be overly conservative. The study's conclusions are based on the assumption that obesity rates in the United States remain stable.

The report is published in the December issue of the journal Diabetes Care.