The high incidence of diabetes in West Tennessee could significantly affect the local economy.

The economic impact extends beyond high medical costs and lost wages. A study published in the December issue of "Diabetes Care" states that for every $1 of lost income due to diabetes, another 36 cents is lost in reduced local spending.

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"No matter how you look at it, diabetes is a costly disease," said lead researcher Dr. H. Shelton Brown III, who works in the Division of Management Policy and Community Health at the University of Texas School of Public Health. "Those costs extend well beyond the price of medical care and lost wages when people become incapacitated due to illness."

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