Economic Burden of Diabetes Management

Diabetes mellitus imposes a multifaceted economic burden through direct medical expenditures, indirect productivity losses and broader societal costs. Direct costs encompass expenses for clinical consultations, hospital admissions, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and laboratory testing. Indirect costs arise from work absence, reduced productivity and premature mortality. The burden intensifies with disease progression and development of complications such as cardiovascular disease, nephropathy and retinopathy. Globally, rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes, driven by ageing populations, urbanisation and lifestyle factors, underpins growing expenditure in both high-income and low- and middle-income settings. Economic analyses highlight prescription-drug costs, particularly for novel therapies, as a key driver of increasing health-care spending. At a macro level, dynamic simulation models project that without effective prevention and control measures total cases and associated costs will escalate substantially over coming decades. These findings underscore the imperative for integrated strategies combining early detection, optimised glycaemic control and targeted prevention programmes to moderate long-term economic impact.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A dynamic projection model has estimated increases in diabetes prevalence in Indonesia from around 9% in 2020 to over 16% by 2045 under current trends, equating to more than 40 million cases. The model incorporated demographic shifts, risk-factor trajectories and existing non-communicable-disease prevention programmes. Scenarios integrating enhanced risk-factor control and expanded intervention coverage suggested possible reductions in prevalence by up to 40%, alongside substantial decreases in projected diabetes-related mortality. These projections offer critical insights for national planning and resource allocation to curb future economic burdens.

Economic Burden of Diabetes Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in economic burden of diabetes management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Direct medical costs: Expenses directly related to health-care services such as hospital stays, outpatient visits, medications and diagnostic tests.

Indirect costs: Economic losses resulting from work absence, reduced productivity and premature mortality.

System dynamics modelling: A simulation technique that uses differential equations to project disease prevalence and resource needs over time.

Macrovascular complications: Large-vessel conditions associated with diabetes, including coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral arterial disease.

Glycaemic control: Management of blood glucose levels to achieve target ranges and reduce the risk of complications.

References

1. Trends in direct health care costs among US adults with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with and without diabetes. Cardiovascular Diabetology (2024).
2. Projection of diabetes morbidity and mortality till 2045 in Indonesia based on risk factors and NCD prevention and control programs. Scientific Reports (2024).
3. Costs of diabetes complications: hospital-based care and absence from work for 392,200 people with type 2 diabetes and matched control participants in Sweden. Diabetologia (2020).
4. Direct medical costs attributable to type 2 diabetes mellitus: a population-based study in Catalonia, Spain. The European Journal of Health Economics (2015).