ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Diabetes cost New York state more than $1.2 billion in Medicaid expenses last year.

The number comes from a new report from state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's office, which found that state expenditures related to the disease have gone up 31 percent in the past five years.

Some 1.6 million New Yorkers have been diagnosed with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, and 460,000 of them are covered by the state's Medicaid program.

In addition, the state estimates that more than 750,000 New Yorkers have the disease but don't yet know it.

Daniel Lorber, president of the American Diabetes Association's Long Island Community Leadership Board, says the statistics show the need for government, public health officials and individuals to work together to prevent the disease.

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