FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jennifer Burke
Jennifer.Burke@fightchronicdisease.org
Encouraging Decline in Rate of Diabetes Diagnosis in U.S. Calls for Continued Efforts in Fight Against Chronic Disease
Improvements notable, increased emphasis on prevention and better management critical
Washington, D.C. (December 1, 2015)– The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD)today made the following statement in response to research data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlighting a decline in the annual number of newly diagnosed cases of diabetes among adults in the U.S.from more than 1.7 million to approximately 1.4 million:
The PFCD is hopeful that the rate of newly diagnosed diabetes cases declining from 2008 to 2014 by about one-fifth is a positive indication that Americans are getting measurably healthier. With rates having more than tripled since 1980, it is clear that diabetes has had a crippling impact on the U.S. population and health care system. This latest improvement is certainly notable, but the undiagnosed are still a problem that the system needs to address along with greater prevention to keep this trend moving forward.
Nearly 22 million Americans struggle daily with diabetes. The total estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes in 2012 was $245 billion, including $176 billion in direct medical costs and $69 billion in reduced productivity.
While problems in health care abound, diabetes is just one of several costly chronic diseases – obesity, cancer, heart disease, and depression, to name a few – impacting the U.S. population, health care system and economy. One in two Americans lives with at least one chronic condition, and more than one in four American adults have more than one chronic condition.Treating people with chronic conditions now accounts for 86 cents of every dollar spent on health care.
This improvement on the diabetes front is encouraging, but more can and should be done, and the time is now. The upcoming elections present an opportunity for all Americans to put a priority on better health of the entire population and on an improved health care system. PFCD and its partners are working to challenge, educate and mobilize policymakers, presidential candidates especially, and all stakeholders in both the public and private sectors in order to elevate chronic disease prevention and advocate for policies that implement better health management so that future generations might enjoy greater overall health and wellbeing.
About the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease
The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) is an international coalition of hundreds of patient, provider, community, business and labor groups, and health policy experts, committed to raising awareness of the number one cause of death, disability and rising health care costs: chronic disease. Learn more by visiting www.FightChronicDisease.org.
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