Chronic Diseases: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention - Chronic Conditions Limit Activity

Besides the personal suffering associated with chronic conditions, these diseases generate an enormous financial burden on families of affected individuals and the nation in terms of medical care costs and lost productivity. The CDC reports in Health, United States, 2005 (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus05.pdf) that in 2003, 6% of adults ages eighteen to forty-four said their activity was limited compared with 21% of adults ages fifty-five to sixty-four. Chronic conditions endanger health and compromise wellness, or quality of life. Table 5.10 shows that among working-age adults, arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders were the activity-limiting chronic conditions named most frequently. Among adults ages forty-five to sixty-four, heart and circulatory problems were the second most common cause of activity limitation. Diabetes and mental illness also contributed to activity limitation. Not surprisingly, the percent of the population with activity limitation resulting from chronic conditions increases with advancing age.