The number of people with diabetes is systematically increasing. 3,5 mln people in Poland suffer from diabetes, though more than half of them haven’t been diagnosed yet. Glycemic imbalance, common indiscipline in observing prescriptions (non‑compliance) lead to numerous complication, which gobble up more than half of money designed for treating diabetes. Circulatory system is affected by long‑term complications of diabetes particulary. The estimated direct cost of complication is 1,3 mln PLN in 2012, a 17% increase from 2009. The largest component of expenditures was designed for heart diseases: 980 mln PLN, remaining costs were spent on treating stroke: 186 mln PLN, diabetic foot: 16 mln PLN, kidney diseases: 108 mln PLN, eye diseases (decrease was noted only in this group): 10 mln PLN. The estimated indirect cost of complication is 1,7 mln PLN in 2012, 26,8% more compared to 2009. Cost associated with heart diseases was the biggest in this group: 1300 mln PLN, the rest of expenditures were spent on kidney diseases: 135 mln PLN, stroke: 131 mln PLN, eye diseases: 85 mln PLN, diabetic foot: 2 mln PLN. NFZ spent 247 mln PLN on increasing number of hospitalization in 2012. Total annuity quote (received by unemployable patients) was estimated at 30 438 5861 000 PLN in 2012, it was heavy burden on state budget.

Key words: type 1 diabetes, complications, pharmacoeconomics.