Metabolic health has been a hot topic for the last couple of years, and that trend looks to continue in 2026. According to the National Institutes of Health, only about 12% of Americans have optimal metabolic health, defined as having optimal levels of waist circumference (WC <102/88 cm for men/women), glucose (fasting glucose <100 mg/dL and hemoglobin A1c <5.7%), blood pressure (systolic <120 and diastolic <80 mmHg), triglycerides (<150 mg/dL), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (≥40/50 mg/dL for men/women), without taking any related medication.[1]
Pre-Diabetes, Diabetes, Obesity, and Hypertension
The CDC states that more than 38 million Americans have diabetes, and another 98 million adults in the United States have prediabetes, which puts them at risk for type 2 diabetes. In 2022, the total estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes was $413 billion in medical fees and lost productivity.[2]
Obesity affects 21% of children and 40% of adults, putting them at risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Obesity costs the U.S. health care system nearly $173 billion a year.3
Hypertension affects about 50% of adults, as measured by high blood pressure and/or taking antihypertensive medication. Annual costs associated with high blood pressure were an estimated $219 billion in the United States in 2019.[3]
Maintaining good metabolic health is vital to avoid chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
One of Summit Re’s preferred vendor partners, Virta Health, has provided the following updates on the latest trends in metabolic health.
Moonshots for Health webinar: Bold Disruption to End the Metabolic Disease Crisis Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Virta's recently released Annual Report on Metabolic Disease Reversal demonstrates how addressing the root cause of metabolic disease can help improve 10 metabolic conditions and lower associated costs.
Article by Kathy Clark, RN, BSN, CMCN, RIT, Vice President, Director of Managed Care. For more information about how the impact on your plan, please contact your Summit ReSources care specialist. The following sources were used as reference material for this article:
[1] Araújo J, Cai J, Stevens J. Prevalence of Optimal Metabolic Health in American Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2016. Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2019 Feb;17(1):46-52. doi: 10.1089/met.2018.0105. Epub 2018 Nov 27. PMID: 30484738.
[2],3 CDC Chronic Disease. Fast Facts: Health and Economic Costs of Chronic Conditions. 2025 August 25. https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-disease/data-research/facts-stats/index.html#:~:text=More%20than%2038%20million%20Americans,9
[3] CDC National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP). Health and Economic Benefits of High Blood Pressure Interventions. 2025 August 6. https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/priorities/high-blood-pressure.html