The personal costs of diabetes may include a reduced quality of life and the increased likelihood of complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, amputation and erectile dysfunction.

Approximately 80% of people with diabetes will die as a result of heart disease or stroke.

Diabetes is a contributing factor in the deaths of approximately 41,500 Canadians each year.

Canadian adults with diabetes are twice as likely to die prematurely, compared to people without diabetes.

Life expectancy for people with juvenile (type 1) diabetes may be shortened by as much as 15 years. Life expectancy for people with type 2 diabetes may be shortened by 5 to 10 years.

MEDICAL COSTS OF DIABETES

The financial burden of diabetes and its complications is enormous.

People with diabetes incur medical costs that are two to three times higher than those without diabetes. A person with diabetes can face direct costs for medication and supplies ranging from $1,000 to $15,000 a year.

By 2010, it’s estimated that diabetes will cost the Canadian health care system $15.6 billion a year and that number will rise to $19.2 billion by 2020.