Did anybody catch the first ever YouTube democratic debate last week? It was cosponsored by CNN and the cool thing about it was this: all the questions came in from Americans like you and me. Turns out two of the candidates spoke out on behalf of diabetes. Here's what they had to say...

Governor Richardson mentioned the fact that 33% of Medicare is wrapped up in diabetes costs. He suggests, "Let's have major prevention programs, and also ways that we can ensure that we find a cure." He still has not announced a plan to ensure a cure. But if he does - I'm willing to bet all of his campaign funding from Big Pharma might mysteriously disappear.

The other candidate addressing diabetes was Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut. Dodd's promise came after from a woman's question about stem cell research. Somehow the senator was able to plug an endeavor to "deal with diabetes". However, much like Governor Richardson - he has yet to announce a plan to cure. Politics as usual. Stay tuned for the LIVE Republican Debate on September 17th.

Last month Bev addressed a news article that found high tech diabetes management did not equate to better diabetes care. Doctors felt that electronic care is only as good as the patient willing to participate beyond office visits. However, another service is trying to evolve the preconceived notions with a more developed system - and a bigger bang for the buck. How does $14.5 billion sound?

Information technology enabled diabetes management (ITDM) was found to be beneficial in avoiding diabetic complications - MILLIONS of cases. This is an overzealous finding - considering the word prevent is permanent and should probably be replaced with delayed. Even the DCCT knew that much. However, the study was conducted over a period exclusive to the program, and not the lifespan of diabetics in the study. However patient compliance did grow from less than 50% to approximately 80%. That would evoke a few halleluiahs from doctors. Another reason in support of ITDM is the fact that an electronic diabetes registry offers Medicare and other payers the ability to save quite a bit. Over 10 years, the overall net savings is estimated to be $14.5 billion. Does that figure include COLA - cost of long-term diabetes complications adjustment? The complications that did not occur in 2008 saved Medicare and payers $1.45 billion. Score! What is the inflation adjusted cost of those delayed complications occurring in 2013?

The headcount standing at 20 million diabetics, at a savings of $1.45 billion per year - I asked for clarification on that figure. The savings is speculative because the company is anticipating saving costs on preventing diabetic complications. That's optimistic but not entirely realistic.

A new report by found that treating type 2 diabetes in Pittsburgh is less expensive than the state and national average.

The annual average in 2005 for type 2 diabetes inpatient hospitalizations in Pittsburgh was $32,354 -- lower than the national average of $39,401, as well as the Pennsylvania average of $54,795. The average annual office visit charges for treating people with Type 2 diabetes in Pittsburgh was $1,002 in 2005. This was also lower than the state average of $1,289 and the national average of $3,266.

The Pittsburgh Business Group developed the Pittsburgh Type 2 diabetes report to serve as a useful resource for employers in their efforts to provide work-site wellness and care management programs to help employees manage chronic conditions like diabetes more effectively. How could one anonymously sign-up for such a workplace offering anyhow? I'm thinking aloud, but I'd probably prefer to keep my diabetes cloaked at work - but that's just me. I blog for a living.

Although these findings are truly interesting - it begs the question what's so much cheaper about Pittsburgh? I found a tourist summary that may lend some clues.

Did you know Pittsburgh has the lowest crime rate of the top 25 metropolitan areas in the United States? Yes sir. And affordable housing isn't a problem either (may be why the cost of healthcare is more affordable for diabetics, too). The average existing home sold for $118,000, or 43% below the national average. Home to 34 colleges and universities, including two - Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh - the area is consistently featured as among the best in the nation for high quality education. Bottom line is the cost of living is 93% of the national average. I was looking for facts that might balance the scale a little but I was hard-pressed to find bad news. Wait a minute - if you consider a dropping population bad, there's your rotten apple. Yeah, who wants to move someplace where the population density is thick as mud?

With all the money you'll save on your diabetes care :::::::WARNING: extreme over exaggeration::::::: you can nestle yourself and your loved one's up in a cozy little 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath palatial estate, costing a mere $1.325 million. What you'll save in diabetes dollars you'll luxuriate in lifestyle.

Diabetes is responsible for over three million deaths worldwide every year and is likely to affect about six percent of the global population by 2025. The warning came ahead of the 19th World Diabetes Congress to be held in Cape Town, South Africa.

There are currently 240 million people with diabetes worldwide. By 2025, 80 percent of people with the disease will live in developing countries. The conference, organized by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), has the potential to influence health authorities to make the fight against diabetes a higher priority. Raising awareness of the seriousness of diabetes is fundamental because of the considerable burden that diabetes exerts on often limited health resources. Rapid cultural and social changes are resulting in an increase in the numbers of people with and at risk of type 2 diabetes. Examples of these changes are growing urbanization and the adoption of unhealthy lifestyles.

Type 2 diabetes now accounts for approximately 85 percent to 95 percent of all diabetes cases in developing countries. The cases of pre-diabetes are more than twice that of diabetes in the African Region. Diabetes will be the pandemic of this century. The United Nations resolution launched a campaign on diabetes calling on individual countries to adopt national diabetes programs. The event will attract more than 10,000 medical experts, enlighten them with discussions of the latest scientific advances in the field, and offer practical information on diabetes care, advocacy and awareness.