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Experts: More research funding could bring down the cost of treating diabetes

Category: Diabetes

In recent years, insulin testing has shown that the number of people with diabetes is skyrocketing. Research has provided improved treatment options. However, some groups are saying that efforts to curb the growth in diabetes have been insufficient.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund recently called on federal lawmakers to expand funding for the study of the disease. Officials said they hope that this will enable future investigations to find a cure for diabetes, which affects 24 million people in the U.S.

"November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, a time to bring attention to priority issues for those of us trying to bring about an end to type 1 diabetes. Chief among our priorities is to ensure that federal funding levels remain sufficient to support the necessary research to drive the field toward a cure for the disease and its complications," said Jeffrey Brewer, the group's president.

He added that more federal funding could be an investment that helps bring down the cost of treating the condition. Currently, the U.S. spends $174 billion each year on treating the condition.