Got questions about navigating life with diabetes? Welcome to our weekly advice column, Ask D’Mine – the place to get some colorful answers from veteran type 1, diabetes 
author and educator, Wil Dubois.
This week, Wil takes a look at the perennial question of a “diabetes conspiracy”: does Big Pharma really have our best interests in mind as it goes about the business of selling treatments?
{Got your own questions? Email us at AskDMine@diabetesmine.com}
George, type 1 from Wisconsin, writes: Hello Wil, I’m 78 years old and have had type 1 for about 25 years. As an aside, on my first visit to a dietician, she told me that it was impossible to have been diagnosed with type 1 at my age [Editor’s note: it sure as hell isn’t!], that I definitely must have type 2. What a start to this 25-year voyage! But the above is not the real reason for this e-mail. When it comes down to it, the real reason for this e-mail is my “diabetes cure pessimism.” I wonder how many millions, or billions of $$ are made directly and indirectly by companies, corporations, etc., that would be traumatized by a cure for diabetes?? It’s just my rare pessimistic side that’s showing. Thank you Wil for listening, and a sincere thank you for your articles!!
Wil @Ask D’Mine answers: Thank you! Personally, I’m not a pessimist at all. I was, however, recently accused of being “one cynical son-of-a-bitch,” which was probably an accurate assessment.
Anyway, I’m not sure there’s any way to answer your question accurately to the dollar, and it depends on what we’re counting—more on that in a minute—but we can get close.
In a detailed study back in 2009, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) put the global diabetes price tag at 376 billion US dollars, and noted that we D-folk gobble up around eleven-and-a-half percent of world’s healthcare expenses. Last year, they updated the figure to $471 billion. They rather dryly note that diabetes imposes “a large economic burden” on individuals, national healthcare systems, and economies.
