Needle-free monitoring and drug delivery
Diabetes is a chronic and life-threatening disease caused by the body's inability to produce or properly use insulin, a key hormone that the body uses to manage glucose, which fuels the cells in the body. Insulin regulates the uptake of sugar from the blood into the cells. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can cause the cells to become starved for energy and, over time, damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart. Although not all of the causes of diabetes are known, genetics and lifestyle factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play important roles. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), about 25 million people in the United States have diabetes. In addition, it is estimated that there are 54 million people in the United States who have pre-diabetes, a condition where blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.
Diabetes is typically classified into two major groups: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes usually develops in children and young adults and is characterized by the body's inability to produce insulin. People with Type 1 diabetes rely on frequent administration of insulin to regulate their blood glucose levels. Type 2 diabetes, by far the most common form of the disease worldwide, results when either the body does not produce enough insulin or cells in the body ignore the insulin produced and become insulin-resistant. People with Type 2 diabetes often require diet and nutrition management, exercise, oral medications or insulin administration to regulate their blood glucose levels.
According to the ADA, the cost of diabetes care in the United States in 2007 was more than $174 billion, including $116 billion in excess medical expenditures attributed to diabetes and $58 billion in reduced national productivity. The ADA estimates that people with diabetes, on average, have medical expenditures that are approximately 2.3 times higher than the expenditures would be in the absence of diabetes and that approximately $1 in $10 healthcare dollars is attributed to diabetes. A significant portion of overall diabetes care costs, approximately $10 billion according to industry sources, is attributable to costs associated with monitoring blood glucose levels.
