New Study Illustrates Economic Benefit of Weight Loss in People with Type 2 Diabetes
June 12 2006 - 11:30AM
PR Newswire (US)
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A new study
demonstrated that even a small percentage of weight loss could
lower health care costs among people with type 2 diabetes. Data
from the study, titled "Short Term Economic Impact of Weight Change
Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes," were presented today at the
66th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes
Association (ADA) in Washington, DC. The study was funded by an
unrestricted research grant from Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and
Eli Lilly and Company to Analysis Group, Inc. The study, which
included data gathered from an HMO claims database between 1997 -
2005, showed that study participants with diabetes who experienced
1 percent weight loss decreased their average health care costs by
3.6 percent over the 12 months following the weight loss, or
approximately $256. Results were even more significant among
patients considered obese (BMI greater than or equal to 30). For
this group, a 1 percent weight loss was associated with a 5.6
percent decrease in health care costs, or approximately $408. "The
results of this short-term study suggest the benefits weight loss
can have beyond disease management and overall health among people
with type 2 diabetes. There's a dollars and cents incentive for
patients and the entire health care system to devote resources to
weight loss and disease management," said study author E.Q. Wu,
PhD, senior associate, Health Economics and Outcomes Practice for
Analysis Group, Inc., a national economics consulting firm. "The
study also reinforces the need for patients with diabetes to have
alternatives that do not cause weight gain, which can be one of the
most challenging side effects associated with many treatment
options for people with type 2 diabetes." According to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic diseases, including
diabetes and obesity, account for more than 75 percent of the
nation's health care spending.(i) Total annual health care spending
in the U.S. rose to 1.9 trillion dollars in 2004, according to the
Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.(ii) While advances have
been made in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes, the ADA lists
diabetes as the fifth leading cause of death by disease in the
United States, resulting in 2002 costs of approximately $132
billion in direct and indirect medical expenses. An estimated 30
percent of U.S. adults aged 20 years and older -- over 60 million
people -- are obese(iii) and an estimated 194 million adults
worldwide(iv) and almost 21 million in the United States(v) have
diabetes. Approximately 90 to 95 percent of those affected have
type 2 diabetes, a condition characterized by progressive failure
of beta cells to produce appropriate levels of insulin, coupled
with the body's inability to respond normally to insulin.(vi)
Ninety percent of people with type 2 diabetes are considered
overweight,(vii) and type 2 diabetes occurs at an earlier age in
overweight people.(viii,ix) About the Study In the study, 458
patients with type 2 diabetes who were on antidiabetic therapy were
identified through Fallon Community Health Plan, a third-party
payer. Data were gathered on the patients' baseline weight and a
second weight measurement taken approximately six months later. The
study assessed the impact of weight change on the total health care
costs over one year following the second weight measure. Weight
change was measured as the percent difference from the baseline
weight measurement. Researchers evaluated administrative claims and
medical chart information for continuously enrolled adults (average
age 58 years, average baseline BMI of 33.7 kg/m2) with type 2
diabetes from the HMO's claims database (1997 - 2005). The study
controlled for patient baseline demographics, co- morbidities, body
mass index, hemoglobin A1C and prior resource utilization. About
Amylin and Lilly Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a
biopharmaceutical company committed to improving lives through the
discovery, development and commercialization of innovative
medicines. Further information on Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and
its pipeline to treat metabolic diseases is available at
http://www.amylin.com/. Through a long-standing commitment to
diabetes care, Lilly provides patients with breakthrough treatments
that enable them to live longer, healthier and fuller lives. Since
1923, Lilly has been the industry leader in pioneering therapies to
help health care professionals improve the lives of people with
diabetes, and research continues on innovative medicines to address
the unmet needs of patients. For more information about Lilly's
current diabetes products visit http://www.lillydiabetes.com/.
Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a
growing portfolio of first-in-class and best-in-class
pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its
own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent
scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, IN, Lilly
provides answers -- through medicines and information -- for some
of the world's most urgent medical needs. Additional information
about Lilly is available at http://www.lilly.com/. About Analysis
Group Analysis Group, Inc. (http://www.analysisgroup.com/) provides
economic, financial, and business strategy consulting to law firms,
corporations, and government agencies. The firm has more than 300
professionals, with offices in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los
Angeles, Menlo Park, New York, San Francisco, Washington, and
Montreal. P-LLY (i) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Available at:
http://www.cdcfoundation.org/frontline/2003/tackling_chronic_diseases.aspx.
Accessed June 2, 2006. (ii) Centers for Medicaid and Medicare
Services - Press Release, "Healthcare Spending Growth Rate
Continues to Decline in 2004; Drug Spending Growth One-half of Rate
Five Years Ago" January 10, 2006. Available at:
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press/release.asp?Counter=1750.
Accessed June 1, 2006. (iii) Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention - Overweight & Obesity. Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/ . Accessed May 23, 2006.
(iv) The International Diabetes Federation Diabetes Atlas.
Available at:
http://www.idf.org/home/index.cfm?unode=3B96906B-C026-2FD3-87B73F80BC22682A.
Accessed April 12, 2005. (v) Center for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) National Diabetes Fact Sheet 2005. Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/aag/pdf/aag_ddt2005.pdf. Accessed June
6, 2005. (vi) Turner RC, Cull CA, Frighi V, Holman RR. Glycemic
control with diet, sulfonylurea, metformin, or insulin in patients
with type 2 diabetes mellitus: progressive requirement for multiple
therapies (UKPDS 49). JAMA. 1999; 281(21):2005-2012. (vii) NAASO
The Obesity Society. Available at:
http://www.naaso.org/information/diabetes_obesity.asp. Accessed May
23, 2006. (viii) Pi-Sunyer FX. Health implications of obesity. Am J
Clin Nutr 1991; 53:1595S-1603S. (ix) Mokdad AH, Ford ES, Bowman BA,
et al. Diabetes trends in the U.S.: 1990-1998. Diabetes Care 2000;
23:1278-83. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040122/LILLYAMYLINLOGO )
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040122/LILLYAMYLINLOGO
DATASOURCE: Eli Lilly and Company; Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
CONTACT: Jamaison Schuler of Lilly, +1-317-655-2111, cell:
+1-317-997-1485; Alice Bahner of Amylin, +1-858-642-7272, cell:
+1-858-232-9072
Copyright