Insulin Use is Dropping While Diabetes Rates are Rising

Insulin Use is Dropping While Diabetes Rates are Rising: More people with diabetes are taking pills to treat their disease, while the percentage using insulin has dropped, according to a new government survey. The proportion of Americans with diabetes who took oral medications increased from 60% in 1997 to 77% in 2007, a 28% rise, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. During the same period, those who reported taking insulin to control their diabetes fell from 38% to 24%. There’s been a shift toward the use of newer, more-expensive diabetes medications.