Economic burden of type 2 diabetes in Iran: A cost‐of‐illness study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a prevalent public health problem worldwide, and the economic burden of the disease poses one of the main challenges for health systems in low‐ and middle‐income countries. This study aimed to estimate the economic burden of T2DM in Iran, in 2018. METHODS: This was a cost‐of‐illness study. Three hundred and seventy‐five patients with T2DM who were referred to Imam Reza and Sina's educational and therapeutic centers and Asad Abadi clinic in Tabriz, Iran, in 2018 were included. A researcher‐constructed checklist was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using EXCEL and SPSS software version 22. RESULTS: Total economic burden of diabetes was estimated at 152,443,862,480.3 (purchasing power parity [PPP], Current International $) (approximately 7.69% of GDP, PPP, Current International $). The mean total direct and indirect costs were 11,278.68 (PPP) (62.35% of mean total cost) and 6808.88 (PPP, Current International $) (37.64% of the total cost), respectively. The mean total direct medical cost and the direct nonmedical cost were 10,819.43 (PPP, Current International $) (59.81% of mean total cost) and 459.24 (PPP, Current International $) (2.53% of mean total cost) per patient, respectively. Besides, the mean direct medical cost was 6.18 times the total per capita expenditure on health, and the total direct medical cost was 8.9% times the total expenditure on health. CONCLUSION: Diabetes imposes a substantial economic burden on patients, health systems, and the whole economy. Besides, since the cost of the disease in patients treated with insulin and those with diabetes complications is significantly higher, the reinforcement of self‐care measures and focusing on modifying lifestyle (dietary modification and physical activity) in patients with T2DM can significantly reduce the costs of the disease.