Study: Diabetes drug prices soar

The cost of drugs for type 2 diabetes in the U.S. has doubled between 2001 and 2007 according to the results of a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"We found dramatic changes in the treatment patterns for diabetes during the past decade," said study author Dr. G. Caleb Alexander who observed that the cost of treating type 2 diabetes went from $6.7 billion to $12.5 billion in six years.

Why such a spike in spending? According to Alexander, the increasing number of diabetics in the U.S. coupled with taking newer, more expensive types of medicine created such high costs. Furthermore, the lack of long-term studies on diabetes makes it difficult to fully ascertain if these costly meds are significantly better than taking cheaper, generic alternatives.

Diabetes is one of the top causes of death in the U.S. and it’s an ailment that particularly hits the Latino community hard. According to the National Council of La Raza:

• Two million Latinos age 20 and older have type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
• Latinos are 1.5 times more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to have Type 2 diabetes.
• However, Mexican Americans are 1.7 times more likely and residents of Puerto Rico are 1.8 times more likely than Whites to have type 2 diabetes.
• Nearly half of Latino children born in the year 2000 are likely to develop diabetes in their lifetime.
• 25-30% of Hispanics older than 50 have diabetes.
• Latinos are the fastest-growing minority group in the country. However, they also have the lowest rates of insurance coverage, and without access to proper health care, diabetes can progress and lead to a number of health problems.

There are several simple tips one can take in order to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes including regular exercise, and eating high fiber foods.

Image- ABC News
Sources- washingtonpost.com, ABC News, Guardian UK, Reuters, National Council of La Raza