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Chronic Diseases

Taking care of ourselves is an important part of life. But more than that, we should be able to prevent, manage and understand any health problems that arise. This is called health literacy.

Health literacy is important because it helps people find the right health care and services, take care of a chronic condition or disease, or simply maintain their health and wellness.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine define health literacy as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.

ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL WEB SITE OF THE U.S. HEALTH RESOURCES "Health Literacy"

Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information needed to make appropriate health decisions.
Low health literacy is more prevalent among:
Older adults
Minority populations
Those who have low socioeconomic status
Medically underserved people

What is our role in promoting health literacy?

Health literacy is a common thread through all of our programs. A large portion of the people we serve are poor and medically underserved.

They need help understanding and navigating a complex health care system. They require culturally competent providers who speak their language so they can make informed health care choices.

A number of patients may be confused with certain medical language, have difficulty understanding English, struggle with filling out forms, or have limited access to health providers in their community.

With the proper training, health care professionals can identify patients' specific health literacy levels and make simple communication adjustments."

A systematic review of the past 20 years literature showed "Low literacy has been linked to poor health outcomes such as higher rates of hospitalization and less frequent use of preventive services (see Fact Sheet: Health Literacy and Health Outcomes). Both of these outcomes are associated with higher healthcare costs."

In 2015 the U.S. spent nearly $9,000 for the health of every American — far more than what the governments of other countries spend on the health of their citizens – yet life expectancy and health outcomes are generally worse for Americans than for citizens of other developed nations in North America and Europe.

The primary responsibility for improving health literacy lies with public health professionals and the healthcare and public health systems. We must work together to ensure that health information and services can be understood and used by all Americans. We must engage in skill-building with healthcare consumers and health professionals. Adult educators can be productive partners in reaching adults with limited literacy skills.

Due to the increased complexity of the healthcare system, it is not surprising that this is creating more people with limited health literacy. As our healthcare system gets more complex and as a larger share of responsibility for self-management is moving into patients' hands, the ability to understand and process complex information is becoming increasingly important for getting good health outcomes.

For the reasons of the high cost to treat disease in America, "disease prevention should be woven into all aspects of our lives, including where and how we live, learn, work and play. Everyone—government, businesses, educators, health care institutions, communities and every single American—has a role in creating a healthier nation.”

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Date Last Reviewed: August 2019

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP)

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
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Six in ten Americans live with at least one chronic disease, like heart disease and stroke, cancer, or diabetes. These and other chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in America, and they are also a leading driver of health care costs.

At CDC, our job is to make it easier for all Americans to make healthy choices so they can enjoy life. We know that most chronic diseases can be prevented by eating well, being physically active, avoiding tobacco and excessive drinking, and getting regular health screenings. CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) helps people and communities prevent chronic diseases and promotes health and wellness for all.

COVID-19Five chronic conditions are associated with higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

See rates by county
About Chronic Diseases
How You Can Prevent Chronic Diseases
Health and Economic Costs of Chronic Diseases
How to Manage Your Chronic Disease During a Disaster

About the Center
Organization Chart
Director’s Profile
How We Prevent Chronic Diseases and Promote Health
Our Divisions and Offices
Programs Supported by Multiple Divisions

Budget and Funding
Our Budget
Notice of Funding Opportunities
Grant Funding for States and Territories

Our Impact
Impact Quick Facts
Cost-Effectiveness of Chronic Disease Interventions
Social Determinants of Health
Health Promotion Activities
Success Stories

Chronic Disease Data
Surveillance Systems
Interactive Data Applications
Open Data Portal

Publications, Graphics, and Media
Chronic Disease Fact Sheets
Division At A Glances
Infographics
Features
Journal Articles
Media

Latest News and Media

More News and Media
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CDC Chronic
RT @CDCDiabetes : Learn how planning a balanced diet can help you manage #diabetes: https://t.co/wuiUvqffTy https://t.co/94XBarkqls
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MoreOur Divisions and Offices
Division of Cancer Prevention and Control
Division of Diabetes Translation
Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity
Division of Oral Health
Division of Population Health
Division of Reproductive Health
Office on Smoking and Health

Chronic Diseases in America
6 IN 10
Adults in the US have a chronic disease
4 IN 10
Adults in the US
have two or more
THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH AND DISABILITY
and Leading Drivers of the Nation’s $3.8 Trillion in Annual Health Care Costs

THE KEY LIFESTYLE RISKS FOR CHRONIC DISEASE
TOBACCO
USE
POOR
NUTRITION
LACK OF
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
EXCESSIVE
ALCOHOL USE

NCCDPHP PREVENTS
CHRONIC DISEASE
AND PROMOTES HEALTH
FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES

WE WORK TO IMPROVE HEALTH ACROSS THE LIFE SPAN
Where People Live, Learn, Work, and Play
Infants
Reduce the leading causes of infant death and illness.

Children and Adolescents
Help support healthy communities, child care programs, and schools so children can eat well, stay active, and avoid risky behaviors.

Adults
Help adults lead healthy and active lives and increase the use of preventive services like cancer screenings.

Older Adults
Promote quality of life and independence for people as they age.

WHAT WE DO
Find out how chronic diseases affect populations in the United States.
Study interventions to find out what works best to prevent and control chronic diseases.
Fund and guide states, territories, cities, and tribes to use interventions that work.
Share information to help all Americans understand the risk factors for chronic diseases and how to reduce them.

HOW WE DO IT
Measure
how many Americans have chronic diseases or chronic disease risk factors.
Improve
environments to make it easier for people to make healthy choices.
Strengthen
health care systems to deliver prevention services that keep people well and diagnose diseases early.

Connect
clinical services to community programs that help people prevent and manage their chronic diseases and conditions.

OUR IMPACT

From 2012 to 2018, 16.4 million smokers attempted to quit and 1 million successfully quit because of the Tips® campaign

The proportion of adults meeting aerobic physical activity guidelines increased from 44% in 2008 to 54% in 2018.

The Million Hearts® initiative prevented an estimated 135,000 cardiac events from 2012 to 2016, averting $5.6 billion in medical costs.

Teen birth rates fell 60% from 2007 to 2019— an all‑time low.

The percentage of children from low-income households with dental sealants increased from 22% in 1999–2004 to 39% in 2011–2016.

Over 570,000 people have participated in the National Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle change program.

Since 1991, the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program has served more than 5.9 million women and found 73,775 invasive breast cancers, 4,991 invasive cervical cancers, and 229,101 precancerous cervical lesions.

From 2008 to 2018, 26% fewer secondary schools across states sold less nutritious snacks or beverages.

Chronic Diseases in America pdf icon[PDF – 5 MB]

Page last reviewed: January 24, 2022, 12:00 AM
Content source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
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How You Can Prevent Chronic Diseases

Many chronic diseases are caused by key risk behaviors. By making healthy choices, you can reduce your likelihood of getting a chronic disease and improve your quality of life.
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Quit SmokingStopping smoking (or never starting) lowers the risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and lung disease, as well as premature death—even for longtime smokers. Take the first step and call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for FREE support.

Quit Smoking
Tips From Former Smokers

Eat Healthy
Eating healthy helps prevent, delay, and manage heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases. A balanced diet of fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products is important at any age. If you are overweight, losing even 5% to 7% of your body weight can help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
Choose
MyPlate.govexternal icon
Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight
Plan Healthy Meals

Get Regular Physical Activity
Regular physical activity can help you prevent, delay, or manage chronic diseases. Aim for moderate physical activity (like brisk walking or gardening) for at least 150 minutes a week.
Physical Activity and Health
Adding Physical Activity to Your Life
Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight

Avoid Drinking Too Much Alcohol
Over time, excessive drinking can lead to high blood pressure, various cancers, heart disease, stroke, and liver disease. By not drinking too much, you can reduce these health risks.
Alcohol Use and Your Health

Get Screened
To prevent chronic diseases or catch them early, visit your doctor regularly for preventive services.
Cancer Screening Tests
Prediabetes and Diabetes Testing

Get Enough Sleep
Insufficient sleep has been linked to the development and poor management of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and depression. Adults should get at least 7 hours of sleep daily.
Basics About Sleep

Know Your Family History
If you have a family history of a chronic disease, like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or osteoporosis, you may be more likely to develop that disease yourself. Share your family health history with your doctor, who can help you take steps to prevent these conditions or catch them early.

Family Health History
CDC Feature: Knowing is Not Enough—Act on Your Family Health History

Make Healthy Choices in School, at Work, and in the Community
By making healthy behaviors part of your daily life, you can prevent conditions such as high blood pressure or obesity, which raise your risk of developing the most common and serious chronic diseases. Learn more about healthy actions you or your loved ones can take.
In School

At Work

In the Community

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Page last reviewed: April 28, 2021
Content source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Visual Abstracts
Page last reviewed: March 10, 2022, 12:00 AM

Content source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Health and Economic Costs of Chronic Diseases

Chronic diseases have significant health and economic costs in the United States. Preventing chronic diseases, or managing symptoms when prevention is not possible, can reduce these costs.

Diseases
Heart Disease and StrokeNothing kills more Americans than heart disease and stroke. More than 877,500 Americans die of heart disease or stroke every year—that’s one-third of all deaths. These diseases take an economic toll, as well, costing our health care system $216 billion per year and causing $147 billion in lost productivity on the job.3

Cancer
Each year in the United States, more than 1.7 million people are diagnosed with cancer, and almost 600,000 die from it, making it the second leading cause of death. The cost of cancer care continues to rise and is expected to reach almost $240 billion by 2030.”4

Diabetes
More than 34.2 million Americans have diabetes, and another 88 million adults in the United States have a condition called prediabetes, which puts them at risk for type 2 diabetes. Diabetes can cause serious complications, including heart disease, kidney failure, and blindness. In 2017, the total estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes was $327 billion in medical costs and lost productivity.5

Obesity
Obesity affects 19% of children and 42% of adults, putting them at risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Over 25% of young people aged 17 to 24 are too heavy to join the US military. Obesity costs the US health care system $147 billion a year.6

Arthritis
Arthritis affects 58.5 million adults in the United States, which is about 1 in 4 adults. It is a leading cause of work disability in the United States, one of the most common chronic conditions, and a common cause of chronic pain. The total cost attributable to arthritis and related conditions was about $303.5 billion in 2013. Of this amount, nearly $140 billion was for medical costs and $164 billion was for indirect costs associated with lost earnings.7

Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia, is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that affects about 5.7 million Americans, including 1 in 10 adults aged 65 and older. It is the sixth leading cause of death among all adults and the fifth leading cause for those aged 65 or older. In 2020, the estimated cost of caring for and treating people with Alzheimer’s disease was $305 billion. By 2050, these costs are projected to be more than $1.1 trillion.8

Epilepsy
In the United States, about 3 million adults and 470,000 children and teens younger than 18 have active epilepsy—meaning that they have been diagnosed by a doctor, had a recent seizure, or both. Adults with epilepsy report worse mental health, more cognitive impairment, and barriers in social participation compared to adults without epilepsy. In 2016, health care spending for epilepsy was $8.6 billion in direct costs.9

Cavities
Cavities (also called tooth decay) are one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States. One in two children aged 6 to 8 has had a cavity in at least one of their baby (primary) teeth and one in four adults has untreated cavities. 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 over $45 billion is lost in productivity due to dental disease.10,11

Risk Factors
Cigarette Smoking
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States. More than 16 million Americans have at least one disease caused by smoking. This amounts to more than $225 billion in direct medical costs that could be saved every year if we could prevent youth from starting to smoke and help every person who smokes quit.12

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. Physical inactivity also costs the nation $117 billion annually for related health care.13

Excessive Alcohol Use
Excessive alcohol use is responsible for 95,000 deaths in the United States each year, including 1 in 10 deaths among working-age adults. 14,15 In 2010, excessive alcohol use cost the US economy $249 billion, or $2.05 a drink, and $2 of every $5 of these costs were paid by the public. Binge drinking is responsible for over half the deaths and three-quarters of the costs due to excessive alcohol use.16

References

Buttorff C, Ruder T, Bauman M. Multiple Chronic Conditions in the United States pdf icon[PDF -393kb]external icon Santa Monica, CA: Rand Corp.; 2017.
Martin AB, Hartman M, Lassman D, Catlin A. National Health Care Spending In 2019: Steady Growth For The Fourth Consecutive Yearexternal icon. Health Aff. 2020;40(1):1–11.
Benjamin EJ, Virani SS, Callaway CW, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2018 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2018;137:e67–e492.
Mariotto AB, Enewold L, Zhao J, Zeruto CA, Yabroff KR. Medical care costs associated with cancer survivorship in the United States. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2020;29:1304–1312.
American Diabetes Association. Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2017. Diabetes Care. 2018;41(5):917–928. PubMed abstractexternal icon.
Finkelstein EA, Trogdon JG, Cohen JW, Dietz W. Annual medical spending attributable to obesity: payer- and service-specific estimates. Health Aff. 2009;28(5):w822–w831. PubMed abstractexternal icon.
Murphy LB, Cisternas MG, Pasta DJ, Helmick CG, Yelin EH. Medical expenditures and earnings losses among US adults with arthritis in 2013. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2018;70(6):869–876.
2020 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. Alzheimer’s Impact Movement and Alzheimer’s Association. March 2020. Accessed January 2022. https://www.alz.org/aaic/downloads2020/2020_Facts_and_Figures_Fact_Sheet.pdf pdf icon[PDF -134kb]external icon
Dieleman JL, Cao J, Chapin A, et al. US health care spending by payer and health condition, 1996-2016. JAMA.2020;323(9):863–884. PubMed abstractexternal icon.
Righolt AJ, Jevdjevic M, Marcenes W Listl S. Global-, regional-, and country-level economic impacts of dental diseases. J Dent Res. 2018;97(5):501–507. PubMed abstractexternal icon.
Naavaal S, Kelekar U. Hours lost due to planned and unplanned dental visits among US adultsexternal icon. Health Behav Policy Rev. 2018;5(2):66–73.
Xu X, Shrestha SS, Trivers KF, Neff L, Armour BS, King BA. U.S. healthcare spending attributable to cigarette smoking in 2014external icon. Prev Med. 2021; 150:106529.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Step It Up! The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Walking and Walkable Communities. Office of the Surgeon General; 2015.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI). Atlanta, GA: CDC.
Stahre M, Roeber J, Kanny D, Brewer RD, Zhang X. Contribution of excessive alcohol consumption to deaths and years of potential life lost in the United States. Prev Chronic Dis. 2014;11:130293.
Kanny D, Naimi TS, Liu Y, Lu H, Brewer RD. Annual total binge drinks consumed by U.S. Adults, 2015. Am J Prev Med. 2018;54(4):486–496. PubMed abstractexternal icon.

Page last reviewed: March 8, 2022, 12:00 AM
Content source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
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