The Cost-Effectiveness of Increased Yogurt Intake in Type 2 Diabetes in Japan

TL;DR

Increasing yogurt intake in Japan could help prevent type 2 diabetes and save healthcare costs over 10 years.

Contribution

A new simulation model evaluates the health and economic impact of increased yogurt consumption on type 2 diabetes in Japan.

Findings

Increasing yogurt intake to 160 g/day could reduce type 2 diabetes incidence by 16.1%.

Higher yogurt consumption is linked to lower healthcare expenditures and reduced diabetes-related mortality.

Even a modest increase in yogurt intake (80 g/day) shows measurable health and economic benefits.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: A healthy diet helps prevent noncommunicable diseases, and dairy is an essential part of this diet. Multiple meta-analyses have shown an inverse association between yogurt intake and type 2 diabetes (T2D). This study aimed to develop a simulation model and evaluate the medical and economic effects of increased yogurt intake on T2D. Methods: It predicted the T2D incidence rate, T2D mortality rate, and national healthcare expenditures (NHE) over 10 years using a Markov model for the Japanese population aged 40–79 years. Results: By increasing yogurt intake to 160 g/day or 80 g/day, the incidence rate of T2D decreased by 16.1% or 5.9%, the T2D-related mortality rate decreased by 1.6% or 0.6%, and the NHE was predicted to decrease by 2.4% and 0.9%, respectively. Conclusions: Increasing yogurt intake may be an effective strategy to prevent T2D and reduce NHE.

Figures