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Heart disease is costliest health problem: study
Recently released study findings reveal
that
heart disease was the most expensive health
problem in the United States in 1997, costing $58 billion to treat. Cancer
ranked second at $46 billion, followed by trauma at $44 billion and mental
disorders at nearly $30 billion.
Pulmonary conditions, including asthma,
ranked fifth on costs at $29 billion, but affected the most people--41
million Americans in 1997. Injuries from trauma came second, affecting 37
million people, and hypertension ranked third, with 27 million people
suffering from the disease.
While many of the top medical problems are
chronic diseases, the study authors note that several are acute conditions,
such as trauma and pneumonia. "This suggests that while a focus on chronic
conditions is certainly important, it should not be the only focus of
efforts at improvement," they write.
SOURCE: Health Affairs 2003;22:129-138
RESOURCE: Heart Healthy Diet
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