We eat, we sleep, we live, we die; all the while the world keeps turning. Barring the influence of an alien wearing a red cape and giant S on his chest, the world will continue to spin in the same direction and at the same speed. But, what motivates it to keep turning? Scientists have their answer for that question, but the rest of us know that it's money that make the world go 'round. Unfortunate, isn't it? If there is a bright side, it is that the fear of losing money has catalyzed a movement toward educating the public about the cost of diabetes, with particular focus being placed on complications.

A new study (titled State of Diabetes Complications in America) shows that the annual health care costs for a person with complications from type 2 diabetes are about three times higher than people without diabetes. Synthesizing data from two large national studies that examine the issue of diabetes-related complications, the results demonstrated a clear need to educate the public further about the disease.

Taken right from the results of the study, the average cost of treating diabetes complications breaks down like this:

~ Heart Attack: $14,150 per person

~ Chronic Kidney Disease: $9,002

~ Congestive Heart Failure: $7,982

~ Stroke: $7,806

~ Coronary Heart Disease: $6,062

~ Foot Problems: $4,687

~ Eye Damage: $1,785

Of course, these complications do not include the cost of treating the diabetes itself. The point of mentioning all of this is that it is a strangely fortunate/unfortunate that the world is so consumed by greed. Because this new study highlights how much it costs to treat diabetes complications, health care companies and the U.S. government are FINALLY starting to see the importance of treating type 2 diabetes BEFORE complications even begin. I just find it absurd that it took a loss of money -- and not a loss of quality of life, or life itself -- to get them to finally stand up and take notice.

A white elephant is a supposedly valuable possession whose upkeep exceeds its usefulness, and it is therefore a liability. Every type 2 diabetic is a valuable possession to someone: a mother, a father, a sister, a brother, a daughter, a son...you get the picture. But when it comes to the complications of the disease - it costs the U.S. health system an extra $22.9 billion a year to treat these complications.

"It is a pretty significant wake-up call for people, or should be. It really points out the importance of managing the disease," said Willard Manning, a health economist at the University of Chicago who worked on the report.

Dr. Daniel Einhorn says "the fact that people are still getting complications means we are not using our tools effectively enough," When people fail to follow their diet, exercise and drug treatment plans, the disease leads to complications that boost the total health bill to $57.1 billion. "Either the patient doesn't recognize they have it and complications develop, or they are not good about adhering to their doctor's orders," he said, adding, "We've got to do a better job of managing the disease." Dr. Einhorn serves on the board of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.

Of course, it's the patient -- NOT the drugs they are using. It couldn't possibly be the drugs.