Opinion: We should be in a race for prevention, not cures

Diabetes is one of the most expensive diseases facing the country today. But there are two paths to managing the challenge of preventable chronic illnesses: treating the disease effectively, and preventing the onset of disease. Today, the balance in our research investments is skewed. For all of the research on drugs and surgery, there is very little attention to building the evidence base for effective disease-prevention programs. There should be. Disease prevention costs much less than disease treatment.