Diabetes mellitus affects 23 million people in the United States. Adjusting for population age differences, survey data between 2004 and 2006 indicate that 6.6% of non-Hispanic whites, 7.5% of Asian Americans, 10.4% of Hispanics, and 11.8% of non-Hispanic blacks have diabetes mellitus.1 Totaling $174 billion in 2007, diabetes care accounts for 19% of total healthcare costs.
