In a press release today Johnson & Johnson talked about the establishment of the Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute (JJDI). This is important diabetes news because it illustrates the growing epidemic of diabetes.

“In sheer numbers and the costs in human suffering and money spent on health care, diabetes has reached crisis proportions around the globe,” said Dr. Moritsugu, who has type I diabetes and is an advocate for improved diabetes care. “At a time when the annual direct health care costs for diabetes worldwide are estimated to be at least $232 billion, new strategies are needed to raise the level of care for people with diabetes, including stepped-up education and hands-on training of health professionals working at the local level.”

The coinciding fact that American seniors will now be enrolling for Social Security and Medicare in record numbers points to the fact that more education and training is needed to combat the diabetes epidemic in the USA and worldwide.