Introduction from Merri Pendergrass

Diabetes is the fifth-deadliest disease in the United States today. It’s estimated that nearly 24 million Americans—or eight percent of the general population—currently have diabetes, and that there are close to 6 million additional undiagnosed cases. Though the death rates for heart disease, cancer, and stroke have declined since 2007, the mortality rate for diabetes has increased 45 percent.

If the current trend continues, one in three Americans will develop diabetes in their lifetime. These patients will also be at risk for a myriad of dangerous complications from the disease, including heart disease, stroke, blindness, and kidney disease. The economic cost of diabetes currently stands at $174 billion and has increased by $42 billion since 2002.

The prevention and control of the diabetes pandemic remains a huge challenge. We must continuously improve our understanding of the contributors to diabetes and its complications. Medco is currently involved in a number of studies to evaluate strategies to reduce the health and economic burdens of diabetes. In the future, we will be sharing the results of our clinical studies on this page. Our ultimate goal is to provide information that will lead to better care for patients.

Merri Pendergrass, M.D., Ph.D.