Fast Facts: Health and Economic Costs of Chronic Conditions

The impact of chronic diseases in America

Ninety percent of the nation's $4.5 trillion in annual health care expenditures are for people with chronic and mental health conditions.12 Interventions to prevent and manage these diseases can have significant health and economic benefits.

Diseases

Heart disease and stroke

Nothing kills more Americans than heart disease and stroke. More than 944,800 Americans die of heart disease or stroke every year—that's more than 1 in 3 deaths.3 These diseases take an economic toll, as well, costing our health care system $254 billion per year and causing $168 billion in lost productivity on the job.4 Costs from cardiovascular diseases are projected to hit roughly $2 trillion by 2050.5

See the health and economic benefits of high blood pressure interventions.

Cancer

Each year in the United States, 1.7 million people are diagnosed with cancer, and more than 600,000 die from it, making it the second leading cause of death.6 The cost of cancer care continues to rise and is expected to reach more than $240 billion by 2030.7

See the health and economic benefits of interventions for breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, and skin cancer.

Diabetes

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.8 Diabetes can cause serious complications, including heart disease, kidney failure, and blindness. In 2022, the total estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes was $413 billion in medical costs and lost productivity.9

See the health and economic benefits of diabetes interventions.

Obesity

Obesity affects 20% of children and 42% of adults, putting them at risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.10 Just over 1 in 3 young adults aged 17 to 24 are too heavy to join the U.S. military.11 Obesity costs the U.S. health care system nearly $173 billion a year.12

Arthritis

Arthritis affects 53.2 million adults in the United States, which is about 1 in 5 adults.13 It is a leading cause of disability in the United States, and a leading cause of chronic pain.13 Arthritis-attributable medical costs and earning losses were over $300 billion in 2013.14

Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease, a type of dementia, is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that affects nearly 7 million Americans, including 1 in 9 adults aged 65 and older. Two-thirds of these older adults (4.2 million) are women. Deaths due to Alzheimer's disease more than doubled between 2000 and 2021, increasing 141%. The cost of caring for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias is an estimated $360 billion in 2024, with projected increases to nearly $1 trillion (in today's dollars) by 2050.15

Epilepsy

In the United States, about 3 million adults and about half a million children and teens younger than 18 have active epilepsy—meaning that they have been diagnosed by a doctor, are taking epilepsy medicines, had a recent seizure, or both.16 Adults with epilepsy report worse physical and mental health, and more work limitations c compared to adults without epilepsy.16 In 2019, total health care costs (epilepsy-attributable and other health-related costs) for noninstitutionalized people with epilepsy was $13.4 billion, of which $5.4 billion were directly attributable to epilepsy.17

Tooth decay

Cavities (also called tooth decay) are one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States. One in six children aged 6 to 11 years and 1 in 4 adults have untreated cavities.18 Untreated cavities can cause pain and infections that may lead to problems eating, speaking, and learning. On average, 34 million school hours are lost each year because of unplanned (emergency) dental care, and almost $46 billion is lost in productivity due to dental disease.1920

See the health and economic benefits of oral disease interventions.

Risk Factors

Cigarette smoking

More than 16 million Americans have at least one disease caused by cigarette smoking.21 This amounts to more than $240 billion in health care spending that could be reduced every year if we could prevent young people from starting to smoke and help every person who smokes to quit.22

See the health and economic benefits of tobacco use interventions.

Physical inactivity

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.23 Physical inactivity also costs the nation $117 billion a year for related health care.24

Excessive alcohol use

Excessive alcohol use is responsible for 178,000 deaths in the United States each year, including 1 in 5 deaths among adults aged 20 to 49 years.2526 Binge drinking is responsible for over one-third these deaths.25 In 2010, excessive alcohol use cost the U.S. economy $249 billion, or $2.05 a drink, and $2 of every $5 of these costs were paid by the public.27 Three-quarters of these costs were due to binge drinking.