Diabetes doesn't just rob a person with good health but also earning power and opportunities, one study suggests.
In an article that first appeared in NPR, Alison Aubrey shared startling facts on the economic effects of diabetes. For one, those who suffer from the disease are often paid less or have fewer income opportunities than those who are not diagnosed, and the trend is happening in both developing and developed nations. For instance, in China men who have diabetes have at least 22% lower income than the male general population.
Women to have it worse even in developed countries such as Canada and the United States. Diabetic women are more than 15% less likely to find a job or other economic opportunity than men who also have diabetes. In the United States, women sufferers can lose as much as $20,000 income potential every year because of the disease.
The study is unclear as to the factors that affect income opportunity and ability to land a job for diabetes patients, particularly since labor demands can significantly vary among locations. However, Till Seuring, the study author from Norwich Medical School in the United Kingdom, surmises that it has something to do with physical activity. Men with diabetes, for example, have "diminished physical capabilities."
The study also mentions the cost of suffering from diabetes. In the United States, the lifetime spending is close to $300,000. In Mexico, the cost is lower at $242 per person per year, but one has to also consider the possible earnings of the sufferer in the country.
It's expected that these costs will continue to increase since the number of diabetes patients can grow to more than 580 million 20 years from now. Today there are 382 million sufferers, and many still remain undiagnosed.
The disease is indeed going to be costly not only for the country but also for the sufferer himself who has to bear with possible loss of or smaller income and the expenses for medications and other types of treatment.
