Type-2 Diabetes Patients Can Reduce Health Care Costs by Losing Weight

Overweight adults with type-2 diabetes can lower their health care costs by shedding some extra pounds, a new study reveals.

Type-2 diabetes is the chronic condition in which the body fails to use insulin properly. It was once known as adult-onset or noninsulin-dependent diabetes. It affects the way the body metabolizes sugar. Among those diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, nearly 80-90 percent is obese. These two factors together substantially lowers life expectancy, diminishes the quality of life and increases the healthcare costs.

In a latest finding, researchers at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center discovered that these obese adults with type-2 diabetes can lower the health care costs by adhering to a strict diet and increasing physical activity in order to lose some weight. Weight loss alone can lower the health care costs by an average of over $500 per year.

"Lifestyle interventions promoting weight loss and physical activity are recommended for overweight and obese people with Type 2 diabetes to improve their health," said Mark A. Espeland, professor of public health sciences at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and lead author of the study. "This is the first study to show that weight loss can also save money for these individuals by reducing their health care needs and costs."

In this study, the researchers looked at 5,121 obese and overweight adults who were aged between 45-76 years and had been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. These patients had participated in the National Institute of Health-sponsored Action for Health in Diabetes study that started in 2001.

Nearly 50 percent of the patients at each of the 16 sites of the study across the country were randomly assigned to either intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) or diabetes support and education program (DSE); their medical histories were also checked through 2012.

The researchers noticed that in the group that was assigned to ILI there was nearly 11 percent drop in hospitalization and 15 percent shorter stays at hospitals. Apart from this, they used fewer prescription medications. Together, with these two benefits of ILI, a person could on an average save $5,280 in health care costs over 10 years.

According to the researcher, those in ILI program had lower weight and higher level of physical activity throughout the study when compared to the DSE group. This led to better control on diabetes, blood pressure, quality of sleep, physical function and symptoms of depression. The cost saving of the ILI group was consistent irrespective of the age, initial weight, gender or ethnicity.

"Type-2 diabetes is a chronic disease that is affecting more and more adults, increasing their health care needs and costs," Espeland said. "This study shows that by losing weight and being physically active, individuals can reduce these costs."

The finding was documented in the journal Diabetes Care.