GETTING HEALTHIER SAVES DIABETICS MONEY

A new study has found that not only does eating better and exercising improve diabetics' quality of life but it also saves them hundreds in out of pocket healthcare costs each year.  Diabetes is an expensive disease.  Patients must obtain medications plus blood sugar testing equipment and strips, and they often have diabetes-linked complications that involve hospitalizations and/or surgery.  Nationally, total healthcare costs related to diabetes are estimated to be $245 billion annually and this value is expected to rapidly rise as an estimated 35% of U.S. adults now have pre-diabetes.

This analysis, led by Dr. Mark Espeland, evaluated medical histories for over 5,000 obese and overweight type 2 diabetes patients, ranging in age from 45 to 76, who were participating in the Look AHEAD intervention by the Center for Disease Control. In this trial, participants, were randomly assigned to either an intensive "lifestyle change program" focused on diet and exercise, or to a standard diabetes support and education program.

Over 10 years of follow-up, the patients in the intensive lifestyle change group had higher levels of physical activity and maintained a lower body weight, resulting in better diabetes control, blood pressure, sleep, physical function and fewer symptoms of depression.  The lifestyle change intervention group also had 11% fewer hospitalizations, 15% shorter hospital stays, and fewer prescription medications than those in the diabetes support and education program.  Those benefits led to an average savings of $5,280 in health-care costs per person over 10 years, or about $528 a year.  Researchers reported that the cost savings for people in the lifestyle intervention gro up were similar regardless of age, initial weight, gender or race.

What to do:  Modest lifestyle changes can make a big difference in your health.  Results from the LookAHEAD trial indicate that losing as little as 7% of body weight and getting in 30 minutes of moderate physical activity (such as brisk walking) five days a week can help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes by up to 58%.  So, to save your health and your wallet, challenge yourself to make some healthy changes!  The curriculum from the Look AHEAD trial is available online at Lookaheadtrial.org.  Or, for personalized help with these changes, see NYCC's in-house dietitian.

Adapted from articles available at:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_147988.html

http://www.hngn.com/articles/40024/20140822/healthy-living-reduces-type-2-diabetes-care-costs-by-about-500-a-year.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140821153509.htm

Source:

Espeland MA et al. Impact of an intensive lifestyle intervention on use and cost of medical services among overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes: The Action for Health in Diabetes. Diabetes Care, August 2014 DOI: 10.2337/dc14-0093 1935-5548