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Bridget M. Kuehn

JAMA. 2007;298:1858.

Persons living in low-income communities in the United States are 80% more likely to be hospitalized for diabetes or related complications compared with those living in affluent areas, according to data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

In 2005, there were 2800 diabetes-related hospitalizations per 100 000 people in communities where the average income was less than $37 000, compared with 1561 diabetes-related hospitalizations per 100 000 in communities where the average income was $61 000 or more. The data are from the 2005 Heath Care Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample, which also collects data on inpatient care for other reasons, including childbirth, diabetes, heart conditions, and various surgical procedures.

Although poor communities were hardest hit by diabetes, the disease's toll seems to be increasing across the board. Hospital admissions for patients with diabetes also increased by 85% from 3.5 million to 6.5 million between 1993 and 2005. In 2005, diabetes-related admissions represented 17% of all hospital admissions.