From Discovery to Health
Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease costs American businesses more than $61 billion annually, including $36.5 billion in lost productivity of employees who are caregivers.
Arthritis
Arthritis (joint pain) includes more than 100 different diseases and conditions, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, scleroderma and gout. It affects nearly 70 million Americans, or one in three adults, and is the leading cause of disability in the United States.
Asthma
The estimated cost of asthma in 2000 was $12.7 billion—$8.1 billion in direct medical expenses and $4.6 billion in lost earnings because of illness and death.
Cancer
The cost of cancer in 2000 is estimated at more than $180 billion.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
The U.S. could save an average of $20,000 per person annually when researchers find a treatment or cure for CFS that returns patients to their pre-illness level of productivity.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
This term is used to describe a group of lung diseases, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, characterized by shortness of breath and a chronic cough. It is the only syndrome among the top ten causes of death expected to increase in the next decade. It is expected to be the third leading cause of death by 2020.
Depression
In 2001, depression cost US businesses about $70 billion for medical expenditures, absences from work and reduced productivity while at work. Ten percent of the United States population will suffer from an episode of depression at some time in their lives.
Diabetes
Diabetes consumes 25 percent of Medicare's annual budget.
Flu
Influenza, the flu, is caused by a virus and is more severe than the common cold. Flu keeps people from their normal activities for up to a week and can be complicated by bacterial infections. More than 100,000 Americans are hospitalized each year because of flu.
Food Allergy
Teens and young adults are at high risk for fatal allergic reactions to food.
Global Health
We live in a global society where disease knows no borders. Improving health around the world helps protect Americans at home and abroad. Investing in global health research is the smart thing to do for America and the right thing to do for the world.
Global Violence
The cost of violence in a single year tops $70 billion in the U.S.; $5.6 billion for medical care and $64.7 billion due to lost productivity.
Heart Disease & Stroke
Heart disease and stroke will cost the U.S. almost $330 billion in 2002. Read about Sherri Selph, a heart disease survivor who shares her comments.
HIV/AIDS
Preventing HIV transmission from an HIV-infected pregnant woman to her baby would save an estimated $650,616 in medical costs and lost productivity over the child's lifetime.
Infectious Diseases
For every dollar spent on diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis vaccine in the U.S., $27 are saved in direct medical costs, such as antibiotics and hospitalization, and indirect societal costs, such as lost work time.
Injury
Injuries in a single year will ultimately cost the U.S. $406 billion—$80.2 billion in medical costs and $326 billion in lost productivity.
Obesity
In 2000, obesity cost the United States $117 billion—$61 billion for direct medical costs and $56 billion for indirect costs such as diabetes and death. Obesity counts for at least 5 percent of national health expenditures in the United States.
Oral Diseases
Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease. By age 50, the average American has lost 12 teeth, and after age 64, one in three Americans has no natural teeth at all.
Pain
An estimated 100 million people in the United States suffer from chronic pain and as many as 20 percent of children experience chronic pain. Inadequate pain management is a more severe problem for ethnic and racial minorities than for other population groups.
Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease costs the U.S. $26 billion a year in medical care, lost earnings by patients and caregivers, and compensation for lost earnings.
Pictures of Health: Medical Imaging
Lung cancer can be detected by low-dose CT screening at an earlier stage than traditional screening methods, increasing the likelihood of survival and lowering treatment costs.
Prematurity
Hospital charges for premature infants total $18.1 billion a year in the U.S.
Prevention and Public Health
Alzheimer's attacks brain cells 20 years before symptoms are recognized, indicating the importance of prevention and early detection.
Research: An Economic Driver
A $1 increase in public basic science funding stimulates $3.15 in pharmaceutical investment.
Suicide
High school students showed a 40 percent drop in suicide attempts after participating in the Signs of Suicide (SOS) program, which screens teens for depression and teaches them to recognize and respond to teens needing help.
Vision and Blindness
In 2003, visual disorders and disabilities cost the U.S. $68 billion.