The report, "Profiles of an Aging Society: Diabetes," was released to coincide with National Diabetes Awareness Month in November. It also found that, compared to older adults without diabetes, those with the disease are less likely to be employed and more likely to have other health problems, such as heart disease, depression, and disabilities that interfere with normal life activities. The analysis was conducted by Scott M. Lynch, PhD, of the Office of Population Research at Princeton University - using HRS data collected biannually from 1998 through 2008, which included information from more than 20,000 adults over age 50 in 1998.

Diabetes currently afflicts 7.8 percent of the total U.S. population - 23.6 million people, including 5.7 million undiagnosed - but almost a quarter (23.1 percent) of individuals age 60 or older (12.2 million people). By 2034, 44.1 million Americans, including 14.6 million Medicare-eligible individuals, are expected to have diabetes. Annual diabetes-related spending is expected to rise as well, reaching $336 billion in 2034 - almost triple the amount researchers estimate was spent in 2009. For example, diabetes-related Medicare spending is expected to rise from $45 billion in 2009 to $171 billion in 2034.

Source: The Gerontological Society of America