There are approximately 24 million diabetics in the US, based on 2007 data. About 10% of them are type 1, and 90% are type 2. So there were 2,400,000 type 1's and 21,600,000 type 2's in 2007. Since 27% of the type 2's use insulin, and 100% of the type 1's use insulin, there were 2,400,000 type 1's using insulin, and 5,832,000 type 2's using insulin. So there are 3,432,000 more type 2 insulin users than type 1 insulin users. The insulin companies make a lot more money off type 2's than type 1's.
I mentioned this elsewhere, but this seems like a good place to repeat it. My wife (T2) really took to the breathable insulin, exubera, when it came out a few years ago; it worked well for her. Then it was taken away, and her doctor said it was for financial reasons, not any effectiveness or safety concerns. I was told elsewhere here that asthma sufferers wouldn’t be able to use it and that might be a factor. As for the specific topic of sour post, it makes sense by the numbers of T2s versus T1s. I don’t know if T1s could indirectly suffer from this financial factor or not,
i don’t know what kind of statistics are available, but i would be curious to how that relates to usage. In other words, on average do T2 use more insulin due to insulin resistance, or T1s because of no beta cell production?
I think in general type 2’s use more insulin than type 1’s due to resistance. I also think the figure of 90% of Type 1’s and 10% of Type 2’s is outdated since it has been discovered that between 10-20% of people diagnosed with type 2 were actually misdiagnosed type 1’s (often LADAs). I was one of them. So there are more Type 1’s than previously thought.
If 10% to 20% of T2’s were misdiagnosed, and are really T1, then the total number of Type 1’s would swell by 4 million, effectively tripling the number of Type 1’s in the nation. I don’t think the 10-20% figure is accurate. Can you cite a source? Just kinda curious…
As long as were picking apart statistics, the 24 million diabetics stated includes some 6 million who are walking around undiagnosed, not using insulin or pills for that matter
I’ve read these figures in various sources, Joe, and I’m sure if you run a search about LADA, you will find them, or some of our more research oriented members can gives sources. The only one I have in front of me at the moment is Using Insulin by John Walsh who quotes Type 1 as 25% when all antibody positive cases are included with type 2 then 75%. He breaks it down as “typical” type 1-10%, LADA/1.5-15% and type 2 75%.
Don’t you think that insulin usage between Type 1s and 2s is closer than the original post’s numbers imply?
It would be cool to do a survey here on TuD. Because T1s use short- AND long-acting insulin, and T2s typically use only long-acting (usually in higher amounts), I think we would find that TOTAL insulin usage might be more evenly distributed. My combined usage (Lantus and NovoLog) for June was 1,320 units, an average of 42.6 per day, and on pace for 1,489 for July.
As for strips, I think T1s have T2s beaten hands down!
Joe, you have been given some good replies on your request for sources. If you Google for prevelance of type 1, and of type 2 in the US, you will see the percentage of diabetics that are type 1 is 5-10%. They are allowing for many things within that gap . On other sites it was pointed out that there are many type 1 diabetics who are diagnosed as type 2 because of their age. I once saw an estimate of how many type 2’s are estimated to actually be type 1. It is an amazingly large number. If the number of type 2’s is reduced accordingly, and then the number of type 1’s is increased in an appropriate manner, the percentage of type 1 diabetics would probably then be greater than 10%. It is not true that type 1 diabetics are strictly the ones who are 30 years old, or younger. I have read about some type 1 diabetics being diagnosed in their 80’s. It is sad that so many doctors, even in the US, automatically diagnose diabetics over 30 years of age as type 2, based on their age. All diabetics should be examined by an endocrinologist when they are tested and diagnosed.
As for strips, I think T1s have T2s beaten hands down!
Again, depends on how you look at it. Individually, yes. but if you have 1 million T1’s testing 10 times a day, and 10 million T2’s testing once a day, the net is the same (using dummy numbers just for example). Bottom line, without knowing all the variables that come into how numbers are represented, they really mean very little. Data can always be slanted to represent any position you are trying to make.
I have been following this thread for the last two days and I still have the same question I had when first reading it.
SO???
Is there a point to be made about who make how much from whom? The companies make a Sh*t load of $$$ of all of us. They also make tons of money from all sorts of people with different types cancer, different types of thyroid disease, and a myriad of other ailments with multiple different types.
I am not sure if I am missing something or the OP was just meant as a statement.
Its common sense that they would: There are 16 million T2’s in the world and only 1.7 million T1’s. All T1’s use insulin, but 25% of T2’s use insulin. That’s 4 million people. Henceforth that’s more money in the bank…
An estimated 285 million people, corresponding to 6.4% of the world’s adult population, will live with diabetes in 2010. The number is expected to grow to 438 million by 2030, corresponding to 7.8% of the adult population.
And I meant to say in the US,not the world. But I’m also looking at the difference between T1 and T2 and their insulin needs and probability of them using insulin overall. Its holds true around the world though, so statisticly it should be similar percentages…
