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Date Submitted:
12/12/07
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U.S. Arthritis Numbers, Costs Soaring
Description:
As America's baby boomers move into late middle age, arthritis and other rheumatic conditions are taking up an ever larger chunk of health-care spending, a federal study warns.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, which spans the six years from 1997 to 2003, detected a 25 percent jump in the number of adult Americans with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions. Overall, more than 46 million people now suffer from arthritis, compared to 36.8 million in 1997. That means more than one in every five adult Americans now has arthritis, the CDC says. The total annual tab to care for these patients: almost $81 billion. The $81 billion figure represents three percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), "a startling figure," said Louise Murphy, an Atlanta epidemiologist who worked with the CDC on the report. Something must be done to turn these figures around, experts say. "An aging population isn't something that Read the Complete Article Similar content: As Boomers Age, Arthritis Costs Rise, in Arthritis Special Program Helps Many Lower Heart Disease Numbers, in Heart Disease Stroke Costs Reaching Trillions, in Stroke Prostate Treatment Costs Substantial and Sustained, in Prostate Cancer Dementia Care Costs Worldwide Reach $315 Billion , in Alzheimers |
