About Chronic Diseases
Chronic diseases are defined broadly as conditions that last 1 year or more and require ongoing medical attention or limit activities of daily living or both. Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. They are also leading drivers of the nation’s $3.3 trillion in annual health care costs.1,2
1. Buttorff C, Ruder T, Bauman M. Multiple Chronic Conditions in the United States[PDF – 392 KB]. Santa Monica, CA: Rand Corp.; 2017.
2. Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services. National Health Expenditure Data for 2016—Highlights[PDF – 74 KB].
Health and Economic Costs of Chronic Diseases
Chronic diseases have significant health and economic costs in the United States. Preventing chronic diseases, or managing symptoms when prevention is not possible, can reduce these costs.
Diseases
Heart Disease and Stroke
Nothing kills more Americans than heart disease and stroke. More than 810,000 Americans die of heart disease or stroke every year—that’s one-third of all deaths. These diseases take an economic toll, as well, costing our health care system $190 billion per year and causing $126 billion in lost productivity on the job.3
3. Benjamin EJ, Blaha MJ, Chiuve SE, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2017 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2017;135:e1–e458.
Cancer
Each year in the United States, more than 1.7 million people are diagnosed with cancer, and almost 600,000 die from it, making it the second leading cause of death. The cost of cancer care continues to rise and is expected to reach almost $174 billion by 2020.”4
4. National Cancer Institute. Cancer Prevalence and Cost of Care Projections. Accessed June 29, 2018.
Diabetes
More than 29 million Americans have diabetes, and another 86 million adults in the United States have a condition called prediabetes, which puts them at risk for type 2 diabetes. Diabetes can cause heart disease, kidney failure, and blindness, and costs the US health care system and employers $245 billion every year.5
5. American Diabetes Association. The Cost of Diabetes. Accessed June 29, 2018.
Obesity
Obesity affects almost 1 in 5 children and 1 in 3 adults, putting people at risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Over a quarter of all Americans 17 to 24 years are too heavy to join the military. Obesity costs the US health care system $147 billion a year.6
6. Finkelstein EA, Trogdon JG, Cohen JW, Dietz W. Annual medical spending attributable to obesity: payer- and service-specific estimates. Health Aff 2009;28(5):w822-31. PubMed abstract.
Arthritis
Arthritis affects 54.4 million adults in the United States, which is more than 1 in 4 adults. It is a leading cause of work disability in the United States, one of the most common chronic conditions, and a common cause of chronic pain. The total cost of arthritis and related conditions was about $304 billion in 2013. Of this amount, nearly $140 billion was for direct medical costs and $164 billion was for indirect costs associated with lost earnings.7
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Cost of Arthritis in US Adults. Accessed June 29, 2018.
Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia, is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that affects about 5.7 million Americans. It is the sixth leading cause of death among all adults and the fifth leading cause for those aged 65 or older. In 2010 , the costs of treating Alzheimer’s disease were estimated to fall between $159 billion and $215 billion.8 By 2040, these costs are projected to jump to between $379 billion and $500 billion annually.
8. Hurd MD, Martorell P, Delavande A, Mullen KJ, Langa KM. Monetary costs of dementia in the United States. N Engl J Med 2013;368(14):1326-34.
Epilepsy
In the United States, about 3 million adults and 470,000 children and teens younger than 18 have active epilepsy—meaning that they have been diagnosed by a doctor, had a recent seizure, or both. Adults with epilepsy report worse mental health, more cognitive impairment, and barriers in social participation compared to adults without epilepsy. The total direct cost of epilepsy in the United States is estimated to be $15.5 billion yearly.9
9. Institute of Medicine. Epilepsy Across the Spectrum: Promoting Health and Understanding. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2012. NCBI excerpt.
Tooth Decay
Cavities (also called tooth decay) are one of the most common chronic conditions in the United States. More than 40% of adults have felt pain in their mouth in the last year. About 20% of children aged 5 to 11 and 13% of adolescents aged 12 to 19 have at least one untreated decayed tooth. Applying dental sealants in schools to the nearly 7 million low-income children who don’t have them could prevent more than 3 million cavities and save up to $300 million in dental treatment costs.10,11
10. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. Vital signs: dental sealant use and untreated tooth decay among U.S. school-aged children. MMWR 2016;65(41):1141–1145. Accessed February 20, 2018.
11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dental Sealants Prevent Cavities—Vital Signs website. https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/pdf/2016-10-vitalsigns.pdf [PDF – 2 MB]. Accessed January 4, 2018.
Risk Factors
Cigarette Smoking
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States. More than 16 million Americans have at least one disease caused by smoking. This amounts to $170 billion in direct medical costs that could be saved every year if we could prevent youth from starting to smoke and help every person who smokes quit.12
12. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General[PDF – 36 MB]. Atlanta, GA: US Dept. of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2014. Accessed June 29, 2018.
Lack of Physical Activity
Not getting enough physical activity comes with high health and financial costs. It can lead to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and obesity. In addition, lack of physical activity costs the nation $117 billion annually for related health care.13
13. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Step It Up! The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Walking and Walkable Communities. Washington, DC: Office of the Surgeon General; 2015.
Excessive Alcohol Use
Excessive alcohol use is responsible for 88,000 deaths in the United States each year, including 1 in 10 deaths among working-age adults. 14,15 In 2010, excessive alcohol use cost the US economy $249 billion, or $2.05 a drink, and $2 of every $5 of these costs were paid by the public. Binge drinking is responsible for over half the deaths and three-quarters of the costs due to excessive alcohol use.16
14. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI). Atlanta, GA: CDC.
15. Stahre M, Roeber J, Kanny D, Brewer RD, Zhang X. Contribution of excessive alcohol consumption to deaths and years of potential life lost in the United States. Prev Chronic Dis 2014;11:130293.
16. Kanny D, Naimi TS, Liu Y, Lu H, Brewer RD. Annual Total Binge Drinks Consumed by U.S. Adults, 2015. Am J Prev Med. 2018;54(4):486-496. PubMed abstract.
Poor nutrition, including diets low in fruits and vegetables and high in sodium and saturated fats.
Not getting enough sleep
How You Can Prevent Chronic Diseases
https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/about/prevent/index.htm
Quit Smoking
Stopping smoking (or never starting) lowers the risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and lung disease, as well as premature death—even for longtime smokers.
Eat Healthy
Eating healthy helps prevent, delay, and manage heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases. A balanced diet of fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products is important at any age. If you are overweight, losing even 5% to 7% of your body weight can help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
Get Regular Physical Activity
Regular physical activity can help you prevent, delay, or manage chronic diseases. Aim for moderate physical activity (like brisk walking or gardening) for at least 150 minutes a week.
Avoid Drinking Too Much Alcohol
Over time, excessive drinking can lead to high blood pressure, various cancers, heart disease, stroke, and liver disease. By not drinking too much, you can reduce these health risks.
Get Screened
To prevent chronic diseases or catch them early, visit your doctor regularly for preventive services.
Get Enough Sleep
Insufficient sleep has been linked to the development and poor management of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and depression. Adults should get at least 7 hours of sleep daily.
Know Your Family History
If you have a family history of a chronic disease, like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or osteoporosis, you may be more likely to develop that disease yourself. Share your family health history with your doctor, who can help you take steps to prevent these conditions or catch them early.
Make Healthy Choices in School, at Work, and in the Community
By making healthy behaviors part of your daily life, you can prevent conditions such as high blood pressure or obesity, which raise your risk of developing the most common and serious chronic diseases. Learn more about healthy actions you or your loved ones can take.