A new report by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that one in every ten U.S. doctor visits involved diabetes by the year 2010. The research “demonstrates that diabetes is no longer a disease of older patients” and shows a large increase in the number of doctor’s office visits for young adults. The study also examined the number of medications and chronic conditions in various age brackets.
There are about 29 million Americans who have been diagnosed with diabetes. Treatment and management of their blood sugar costs around $245 billion every year. Type 1 diabetes comprises about five percent of the cases and type 2 diabetes makes up about 95 percent of cases. Type 2 diabetes is linked with obesity, but can also arise from various other factors. Data from the CDC shows that office visits for diabetes patients saw a 20 percent increase from 94.4 million to 113.3 million visits between 2005 and 2010. The number of office visits for patients with diabetes between the ages 25 and 44 saw the greatest rise, with 34 percent more visits.
The new study also examined the number of medications and conditions for which a patient was being treated. Diabetes is linked to complications such as heart disease, vision trouble and stroke, so many of these visits included treatment for conditions related to diabetes. The researchers concluded that treatment for diabetes becomes more complicated as people age because physicians have to address multiple other medical conditions that the patient may have. This can be a significant financial burden to patients and can increase the risk that medications are prescribed or taken incorrectly.
The new study indicates that type 2 diabetes has “become prevalent in adolescence with the ongoing obesity epidemic.” Diabetes has also been linked with taking the cholesterol-lowering statin, Lipitor.
You should consult with a doctor before making any change in your medical care. If you believe that you or a loved one have developed diabetes as a result of taking Lipitor, or have been injured as a result of a prescription medication error, you should consider contacting a lawyer to discuss your legal options. If you believe you may have a case, do not hesitate to call our office today at (877) 737-8525 to schedule a free consultation or to discuss filing a Lipitor lawsuit.
