June 27, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

UCLA Report: Diabetes Adds $1.6 Billion to Annual Healthcare Costs

diabetes
A UCLA study found diabetes adds $1.6 billion in annual healthcare costs. (Thinkstock)

Nearly a third of hospital patients at least 35 years old in California have diabetes, adding $1.6 billion annually to healthcare costs in the state, according to a study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research released on May 15.

The study was based on a review of hospital discharge records for 2011, the latest such data available, said Dr. Susan H. Babey, a researcher at the center.

Although diabetes may not be the initial reason for the hospitalization, the disease is responsible for numerous complications, including blindness, kidney and cardiovascular ailments and amputations.

About 95 percent of those diagnosed with diabetes have the type II form that “often is preventable,” said Babey.

“Once you have diabetes, there is no real cure, so it becomes really important to manage the condition so that some of the complications that come out of poorly controlled diabetes don’t occur,” Babey said.

She said that diabetes “is hitting every community hard, but the disproportionate number of hospital patients with diabetes among California’s ethnic groups is especially worrisome.”

UCLA researchers found that 43.2 percent of hospitalized Latinos 35 and older have diabetes, compared to a statewide average of 31 percent.

“American Indians/Alaska Natives are similarly impacted, with 40.3 percent of hospital patients having diabetes, followed closely by African- Americans (39.3 percent) and Asian-Americans/Pacific Islanders (38.7 percent), according to a UCLA statement.

About 27 percent of hospitalized Caucasians 35 and older have the disease, said Babey.

Diabetes — one of the nation’s fastest-growing diseases — added $1.6 billion to hospitalization costs in California in 2011 and the cost may even be higher this year, said Babey.

Hospital stays for patients with diabetes cost nearly $2,200 more than stays for non-diabetic patients, according to the study.

“This study highlights the growing, costly problem of diabetes on patients, our healthcare system, budgets and taxpayers,” according to a statement released by California Controller John Chiang.

“Investing in prevention and wellness strategies that keep people healthier now can help reduce the demand for medical care and the drain on budgets in the future,” Chiang wrote.

Related Posts

Santa Monica Police Arrest Shooting Suspect After Officer Ambushed Near Downtown Mall

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Man Linked to Waymo Vehicle Gunfire Taken Into Custody Following Tense Manhunt The suspect wanted in connection with a shooting...

Brentwood Weekend Specials: $9 Wine & Street Tacos, Blush-Inspired Lattes & Beauty Swag

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Street Tacos and Wine Meets Self-Care in Brentwood and Santa Monica Brentwood Fine Wines will welcome back local culinary favorite...

Michelin Stars Shine Bright on LA: Somni West Hollywood and Providence Earn Top Honors

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Two Restaurants in Los Angeles Receive Three Stars as Michelin Guide Celebrates Bold Flavors The MICHELIN Guide California 2025 celebrated...

Cherished Culver City Ice Cream Vendor Abducted in Broad Daylight

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano’s Disappearance Led To Grassroots Action Ambrocio Lozano, also known in the neighborhood as Enrique, was abducted around...

Brentwood Home by Landry Design Group Wins Top National Architecture Award

June 25, 2025

June 25, 2025

Landry Design Group Wins Gold Nugget Awards for Brentwood, Crestwood Projects Landry Design Group (LDG) earned two top honors at...

(Video) WISE & Healthy Aging Helps Loved Ones Boost Their Quality of Life

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

See How the Nonprofit’s Innovative Programs Advance the Dignity of Life for Older Adults See How the Nonprofit’s Innovative Programs...

Masked Federal Agents Detain Iranian Asylum Seeker and Wife in Westwood

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

31-Year-Old Woman was Hospitalized After Possible Medical Emergency On Tuesday, June 24, between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., near the...

Los Angeles Leaders Push to Ban Masks for Federal Agents Amid Immigration Raids

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Concerns Grow Over Anonymous ICE and CBP Officers in Los Angeles   A growing coalition of California lawmakers and local leaders...

(Video) Food Fight: Chefs Join Forces to Raise Money to Protect Immigrant Families in Venice

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Estrano, Little Dynamite, Sunday Gravy, Kabob Senpai Answer the Call From Turk’s Pizza Party. Dave Turkel Put This Food Resistance...

Squatter-Plagued Beverly Grove Buildings Could Be Razed After Hazard Cleanup

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Demolition of Three Abandoned Apartments May Begin in Two Weeks Three abandoned apartment buildings in Beverly Grove may soon be...

From Westwood to DTLA, Angelenos March Against Military Escalation in Iran

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Protestors Rally at the Westwood Federal Building This Weekend Following President Donald Trump’s authorization of airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear-related...

LAPD Sergeant Killed Assisting Crash Victims on 405 Freeway in Brentwood

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Tragic Early-Morning Collision Claims Two Lives, Including Veteran Sergeant Two people, including an LAPD sergeant, were killed early Monday in...

Recent Homebuyer Down Payments Slip for First Time in Nearly Two Years

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

April’s Median Down Payment Fell as Buyers Lean Toward Lower-Cost Homes The median down payment made by U.S. homebuyers dropped...

Del Rey Affordable Housing Project to Rise on Former Charter School Site

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Community Corp., Local Faith Group Team Up to Build 122 New Apartments Plans are moving forward for a new residential...

Paris Hilton Buys Mark Wahlberg’s Beverly Park Mansion for $63.1M

June 22, 2025

June 22, 2025

The Heiress and Media Mogul Joins a Star-Studded Neighborhood Paris Hilton and husband Carter Reum have purchased a high-profile estate...