The nation’s epidemic of diabetes is projected to only get worse over the next decade, with 53.1 million Americans projected to have the obesity-related disease by 2025 – a 64 percent increase from 2010 – if current health trends continue.
The projection, published in the journal Population Health Management, was developed by the Institute for Alternative Futures of Alexandria, Va., based on census data, population trends, and figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.
The institute’s Diabetes 2025 Model estimates the annual medical and societal costs associated with the rise in diabetes will grow 72 percent to $514 billion.
Researchers noted type 2 diabetes has risen sharply since 1990.
"Diabetes is now a national security issue as it threatens all aspects of our nation's well-being," said Dr. David B. Nash, of the Jefferson School of Population Health in Philadelphia, and the journal’s editor.