Chronic disease is a very real health care concern in the United States.
To promote understanding of the issue, the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) recently compiled "The Costly Chronic Disease Epidemic," a white paper detailing the epidemic and how it will affect health care costs in the future.
“Chronic disease puts immense pressure on not only our health care system, but our entire economy,” PFCD Chair Ken Thorpe said. “Prioritizing prevention, better management of chronic disease and cure innovation are critical needs that both the public and private sectors must acknowledge and address in order to protect the future of our country. Wellness is not one size fits all, and our elected officials must be committed to commonsense reforms that can improve the lives of millions of Americans.”
Statistics show that one in two adults of working age in the U.S. is dealing with at least one chronic condition -- in most cases, more than one. Common chronic conditions include diabetes and arthritis, conditions that cost American taxpayers in excess of $116 billion annually due to lost wages and other losses.
According to information in the white paper, chronic diseases are often preventable and manageable. The report breaks down into five basic theories: that chronic condition prevention and management must be prioritized; that continued advances in treatment and delivery of treatment for chronic conditions must be encouraged; that access to recommended care must improve; that healthy lifestyles for all generations must be promoted; and that knowledge about chronic diseases and care must be transformed into action.
For more information, log on to www.FightChronicDisease.org.
