[Costs involved in the early and late phases of diabetes mellitus].

The costs of diabetes mellitus type 2 in Germany are underestimated due to incomplete data. Especially in the first few years of the disease, the costs are significantly higher in diabetics than in persons without diabetes or other diabetes patients. The cost driver is inpatient treatment of diabetes complications. Glucose-lowering medications play a minor role. According to recent studies (CODE-2, CoDiM), the basic cost structure remains similar in later diabetes stages. For patients with complex complications, the costs are more than four times higher than in persons without diabetes. The enormous direct costs of diabetes account for 14.2% of total health care costs in Germany. Therapy for high blood pressure and blood glucose seem to be cost effective; data for modern lipid-lowering therapies are unclear. Thus, it is advisable to treat patients according to current guidelines and ethical considerations.