50% of all Adults in the US Have at Least One Chronic Condition, According to ...

Half of all adults in the US suffer from at least one chronic condition and more than a quarter have two or more conditions, says a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The government study, published in The Lancet, is part of a new series in the journal called 'The Health of Americans.'

According to the report, chronic diseases and conditions-such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and arthritis-are among the most common, costly, and preventable of all health problems.

There was no surprise in the report's conclusion that a people can dramatically reduce their risk of chronic conditions, through the reduction of risk factors that fall within individuals' control, such as quitting smoking, eating right, getting exercise, drinking less and treating high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

All those illnesses come with a cost. The study found that Medicare enrollees (most of whom are aged over 65) constitute 300 billion dollars in health care spending and over 90 % of this was accounted for by people with two or more chronic conditions.

'Chronic diseases are the main causes of poor health, disability, and death, and account for most of health care expenditures' in our country, the authors said.

But it's not just an American problem, researchers said.

'With non-communicable conditions accounting for nearly two-thirds of deaths worldwide, the emergence of chronic diseases as the predominant challenge to global health is undisputed.'

50% of all Adults in the US Have at Least One Chronic Condition, According to ... 2014-07-02T22:28:00-07:00 Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: Unknown