Report: 5 Percent of U.S. Population Affected by Type 1 Diabetes

New York, NY. (PRWEB) August 06, 2013

A report released today by the Juvenile Diabetes Cure Alliance shows that more than 5 percent of the population, or 15 million people in the United States, is affected by type 1 diabetes.

The JDCA analyzed estimates from government agencies and nonprofits to arrive at the figure. While organizations ranging from the Centers for Disease Control to the JDRF have estimated the total size of the type 1 population at 1 to 3 million, respectively, these figures ignore the impact on family members. When immediate family is added to the mix, the size of the population affected by type 1 grows to 15 million.

"Parents, siblings and spouses all share in the financial, emotional and day-to-day burden of type 1," said Peter Miselis, director of research analysis for the JDCA and father of two adult children with type 1 diabetes. "Although type 1 can be managed with proper care, I can attest that it’s a serious disease that requires constant attention from those who have it, as well as their loved ones."

Through continuous polling of the type 1 population, the JDCA has found that the 15 million comprise the majority of donors to the diabetes nonprofits. According to a previous JDCA report, cure research is the top priority for this group.

"Nine out of 10 donors would prefer to see their donations used to fund cure research initiatives that have a chance at being approved by the FDA in the next 15 years," said Phil Shaw, general manager of the JDCA. "Major nonprofits need a better understanding of not only the true size of the type 1 population, but also their desire to see a near-term practical cure."

A study cited in the report found that the value of a practical cure would be $423 billion, potentially saving an additional $11 billion in healthcare costs each year with people who are newly diagnosed.

Other key findings from the report:

•     Type 1 healthcare expenses in the U.S. are estimated at more than $14.4 billion per year.
•     Another $7.5 billion is lost per year due to missed work days and lower productivity.
•     Annual medical costs for a person with type 1 average around $9,900, or nearly three times the average of people who do not have type 1.
•     The rate at which new cases of type 1 are diagnosed in youth has increased 3 percent worldwide.
•     The U.S. is among the countries with the highest rate of diagnosis in children ages 14 and under.

The JDCA educates donors to ensure that their contributions are being used to fund the most promising type 1 diabetes cure research projects, curbing current costs and future expenditures. Services and tools available to donors include instructions on how to legally stipulate that their gift goes toward a practical cure, individual phone consultations and regular reports analyzing the state of the diabetes charity landscape.

The full report, "The Size of the Population Impacted by Type 1 Diabetes," can be downloaded from the JDCA website. Other JDCA reports on topics ranging from the most promising practical cures to tips for donors can be found on the JDCA’s reports page.

About the JDCA

The JDCA is an independent analyst of the type 1 diabetes charitable universe and brings a business-like perspective to help donors focus research toward a practical cure. The mission of the JDCA is to achieve a type 1 practical cure before 2025 by steering donor contributions to the most effective charities.

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