Direct and indirect costs of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications of type II diabetes.

Macroangiopathy (atherosclerosis) is a common chronic complication in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM, type II diabetes) with a significant attendant mortality and morbidity. While there are inherent difficulties in estimating the economic burden of large vessel disease in type II diabetes, this has been attempted in several studies by use of insurance claims, hospital inpatient statistics, and extrapolation from standard mortality data. This evidence suggests that the macrovascular complications of type II diabetes (ischaemic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease) account for approximately one-third of all healthcare expenditures and one-quarter of disability related to type II diabetes in developed countries. The large and growing economic burden of these complications of diabetes in developing countries is unknown.