Facts

Employer
  • Unhealthy employees cost business $153 billion in lost productivity.
  • The national cost of diabetes in the U.S. in 2007 exceeds $174 billion. This estimate includes $116 billion in excess medical expenditures attributed to diabetes, as well as $58 billion in reduced national productivity per year.
  • The CDC estimates $3 of every $4 an employer spends on health costs are allocated towards treating chronic conditions, like hypertension, obesity, diabetes, asthma, and depression. The top 10 most costly conditions, in decreasing order of cost, are cardiovascular disease, smoking related diseases, alcohol related diseases, diabetes, Alzheimers, cancer, obesity, arthritis, asthma and stroke.
  • The estimated cost for patients experiencing a treatment failure, new medication problem or both are estimated to be $528 billion per year.
  • Pain costs an estimated $560 billion to $635 billion annually in lost workdays, medical expenses, and other benefit costs.
  • Patient with diabetes medical expenditures that are 2.3 times higher than the expenditure would be in the absence of diabetes. Approximately $1 in $10 health care dollars is attributed to diabetes. Indirect costs include increased factors such as absenteeism, reduced productivity, and lost productive capacity due to early mortality.
  • According to a recent Gallup poll, only 13.9% employees (or 1 in 7 people) is of normal weight with no chronic health conditions. The employee BMI and the number of sick days have a direct relationship. A normal weight employee takes an average of 0.34 sick days per month. An overweight employee with less than 2 chronic conditions takes 1.08 sick days per month. An overweight employee with more than 2 chronic conditions takes 3 sick days per month or 42 per year.
  • In the US, about 111 million (46%) of the US adult have high blood pressure per American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association. Hypertension can lead to stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), or peripheral arterial diseases, chronic kidney disease (CKD) or retinopathy.
Government
  • 32% of adverse events leading to hospitalizations are due to medications.
  • Americans are less than 5% of the world’s population but consume 50% of world’s medicines.
  • People 65 or older account for 13% of the U.S. population but take > 1/3 of prescription and over the counter medications. Average 75 years old take 3 or more Rx’s.
  • 1 in 3 older persons taking at least 5 medications will experience an adverse drug event (ADE). Risk factors: Polypharmacy, multiple medical conditions, prior ADE’s, dementia.
  • About 99,628 emergency hospitalizations are for adverse drug event’s in adults 65 years or older each year (2007-2009).
  • Pain costs an estimated $560 billion to $635 billion annually in lost workdays, medical expenses, and other benefit costs. Pharmacogenetics tests guide optimal pain management.
  • The estimated cost for patients experiencing a treatment failure, new medication problem or both are estimated to be $528 billion per year.
  • Non-optimized medication therapy results in 275,689 deaths per year. Medication-related errors are a top preventable cause of serious adverse health events and avoidable readmissions.
  • Unrelieved pain can result in longer hospital stays, increased rates of re-hospitalization, increased outpatient visits, and decreased ability to function fully leading to lost income and insurance coverage.
  • Estimated 1.5 million preventable adverse events occur each year that result in $177 billion in injury and death.
  • In the US, about 111 million (46%) of the US adult have high blood pressure per American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association. Hypertension can lead to stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), or peripheral arterial diseases, chronic kidney disease (CKD) or retinopathy.
Health Plan
  • People 65 or older account for 13% of the U.S. population but take > 1/3 of prescription and over the counter medications. Average 75 years old take 3 or more Rx’s.
  • 1 in 3 older persons taking at least 5 medications will experience an adverse drug event (ADE). Risk factors: Polypharmacy, multiple medical conditions, prior ADE’s, dementia.
  • About 99,628 emergency hospitalizations for ADE’s in adults 65 years or older each year (2007-2009).
  • Medication-related errors are a top preventable cause of serious adverse health events and avoidable readmissions.
  • Patients experiencing a treatment failure, new medication problem or both are estimated to be $528 billion for one year.
  • Non-optimized medication therapy results in 275,689 deaths per year. Medication-related errors are a top preventable cause of serious adverse health events and avoidable readmissions.
  • Unrelieved pain can result in longer hospital stays, increased rates of re-hospitalization, increased outpatient visits, and decreased ability to function fully leading to lost income and insurance coverage.
  • Estimated 1.5 million preventable adverse events occur each year that result in $177 billion in injury and death.
  • In the US, about 111 million (46%) of the US adult have high blood pressure per American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association. Hypertension can lead to stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), or peripheral arterial diseases, chronic kidney disease (CKD) or retinopathy.
Hospital
  • 32% of adverse events leading to hospitalizations are due to medications.
  • Americans are less than 5% of the world’s population but consume 50% of world’s medicines.
  • People 65 or older account for 13% of the U.S. population but take > 1/3 of prescription and over the counter medications. Average 75 years old take 3 or more Rx’s.
  • 1 in 3 older persons taking at least 5 medications will experience an adverse drug event (ADE). Risk factors: Polypharmacy, multiple medical conditions, prior ADE’s, dementia.
  • About 99,628 emergency hospitalizations for Adverse Drug Event’s in adults 65 years or older each year (2007-2009).
  • The estimated cost for patient experiencing a treatment failure, new medication problem or both are estimated to be $528 billion per year.
  • Non-optimized medication therapy results in 275,689 deaths per year. Medication-related errors are a top preventable cause of serious adverse health events and avoidable readmissions.
  • Unrelieved pain can result in longer hospital stays, increased rates of re-hospitalization, increased outpatient visits, and decreased ability to function fully leading to lost income and insurance coverage.
  • Nearly 1 in 5 Medicare patients discharged from the hospital is readmitted within 30 days – that’s approximately 2.6 million seniors at a cost of over $26 billion every year.
  • Estimated 1.5 million preventable adverse events occur each year that result in $177 billion in injury and death.
Patient Centered Medical Home
  • People 65 or older account for 13% of the U.S. population but take > 1/3 of prescription and over the counter medications. Average 75 years old take 3 or more Rx’s.
  • 1 in 3 older persons taking at least 5 medications will experience an adverse drug event (ADE). Risk factors: Polypharmacy, multiple medical conditions, prior ADE’s, dementia.
  • About 99,628 emergency hospitalizations for ADE’s in adults 65 years or older each year (2007-2009).
  • Medication-related errors are a top preventable cause of serious adverse health events and avoidable readmissions.
  • Patients experiencing a treatment failure, new medication problem or both are estimated to be $528 billion for one year.
  • Non-optimized medication therapy results in 275,689 deaths per year. Medication-related errors are a top preventable cause of serious adverse health events and avoidable readmissions.
  • Unrelieved pain can result in longer hospital stays, increased rates of re-hospitalization, increased outpatient visits, and decreased ability to function fully leading to lost income and insurance coverage.
  • Estimated 1.5 million preventable adverse events occur each year that result in $177 billion in injury and death.
  • Patient with diabetes medical expenditures that are 2.3 times higher than the expenditure would be in the absence of diabetes. Approximately $1 in $10 health care dollars is attributed to diabetes. Indirect costs include increased factors such as absenteeism, reduced productivity, and lost productive capacity due to early mortality.
  • In the US, about 111 million (46%) of the US adult have high blood pressure per American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association. Hypertension can lead to stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), or peripheral arterial diseases, chronic kidney disease (CKD) or retinopathy.
Adherence and Compliance
  • Genetic and lifestyle factors influence an individual’s adherence and compliance to therapy.
  • Poor medication adherence exacts a heavy toll by resulting in unnecessary illness, disability, and premature deaths, and costs as much as $290 billion a year in unnecessary healthcare spending.
  • Nearly 1 in 5 Medicare patients discharged from the hospital is readmitted within 30 days – that’s approximately 2.6 million seniors at a cost of over $26 billion every year.
  • Adherence rates range from 25% to 40% among older adults. Cost-related medication nonadherence is a serious problem in the United States.
Anticoagulation Management
  • More than 100,000 ED admissions each year due to 4 common medications - Warfarin, insulin, antiplatelets, oral hypoglycemic.
  • In the Warfarin 33% of total drug-related ED admissions - 95.1% due to accidental overdose
  • 2011 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set “high risk” meds: 1.2% of admissions.
Asthma Management
  • Asthma is a common chronic (long-term) lung disease worldwide. Asthma involves airway inflammation and intermittent airflow obstruction, and bronchial hyper-responsiveness. Asthma causes recurring periods of wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing.
  • In the US, more than 25 million people are known to have asthma. About 7 million of these people are children.
COPD Management
  • In the United States, tobacco smoke is a key factor in the development and progression of COPD (75%), although exposure to air pollutants in the home and workplace, genetic factors, and respiratory infections also play a role.
  • COPD is the 4th leading cause of death in the world; projected to be the 3rd leading cause by 2020 -public health challenge.
  • In the developing world, indoor air quality is thought to play a larger role in the development and progression of COPD than it does in the United States.
  • Wide-spread under-recognition and under-diagnosis. It is preventable and treatable disease.
  • Almost 15.7 million Americans (6.4%) reported that they have been diagnosed with COPD. More than 50% of adults with low pulmonary function were not aware that they had COPD.
  • COPD death rates are also higher among whites than among African Americans or persons of other races.
  • ❱ Women had more COPD hospitalizations than men and more emergency department visits.
Chronic Pain Management
  • Pain is a major health and economic issue in the United States and the number one cause of adult disability.
  • There are currently more than 100 million Americans suffering from chronic pain, including 65% to 80% of terminal cancer patients, 62% of nursing home residents, and many others who must manage pain on a daily basis.
  • Chronic pain affects more people than diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer combined.
  • Pain costs an estimated $560 billion to $635 billion annually in lost workdays, medical expenses, and other benefit costs.
  • Unrelieved pain can result in longer hospital stays, increased rates of re-hospitalization, increased outpatient visits, and decreased ability to function fully leading to lost income and insurance coverage.
  • Unrelieved chronic pain problems often result in an inability for patients to work and maintain health insurance. Chronic pain is the most common cause of disability, partially or totally disabling 50 million people in the U.S.
Women’s Health and Contraceptive Care Management
  • In the U. S. 43 million women (70%) are at risk of unintended pregnancy.
  • 95% of unintended pregnancies are from inconsistent or no contraceptive use.
  • 61 million women are of childbearing age (15-44 year old).
  • Women are less able to prevent exposure to sexually transmitted diseases because of lack of female-controlled barrier methods.
  • Pregnancy rates for women aged 25–29 have changed relatively little since 1990, while rates for women in their 30s and early 40s increased.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Management
  • In the United States, tobacco smoke is a key factor in the development and progression of COPD (75%), although exposure to air pollutants in the home and workplace, genetic factors, and respiratory infections also play a role.
  • In the developing world, indoor air quality is thought to play a larger role in the development and progression of COPD than it does in the United States.
  • Chronic lower respiratory disease, primarily COPD, was the third leading cause of death in the United States in 2014.
  • Almost 15.7 million Americans (6.4%) reported that they have been diagnosed with COPD. More than 50% of adults with low pulmonary function were not aware that they had COPD.
  • COPD death rates are also higher among whites than among African Americans or persons of other races.
  • ❱ Women had more COPD hospitalizations than men and more emergency department visits.
Diabetes Self Management
  • The national cost of diabetes in the U.S. in 2007 exceeds $174 billion. This estimates includes $116 billion in excess medical expenditures attributed to diabetes, as well as $58 billion in reduced national productivity per year.
  • Patient with diabetes medical expenditures that are 2.3 times higher than the expenditure would be in the absence of diabetes. Approximately $1 in $10 health care dollars is attributed to diabetes. Indirect costs include increased factors such as absenteeism, reduced productivity, and lost productive capacity due to early mortality.
  • Number of deaths: 68,705 per year; deaths per 100,000 populations: 22.4.
  • Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, non-traumatic lower-limb amputations, and new cases of blindness among adults in the U.S.
  • Diabetes is a major cause of heart disease and stroke.
  • Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S.
­­­Hyperlipidemia Management
  • 73.5 million US adults have high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).
    • 29.5% have the condition under control.
    • <50% are getting treatment to lower cholesterol levels.
  • Nearly 1 in 3 American adults has high cholesterol.
  • High total cholesterol increases risk for heart disease and stroke, two leading causes of death.
  • 33% of U. S adults with high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol did not have it controlled at recommended levels. Because of the aging of the US population, the prevalence of all cardiovascular disease (CVD) is projected to increase to 40.5% by 2030, and the total economic burden of CVD is estimated to exceed $1 trillion annually.
  • Adherence rates range from 25% to 40% among older adults. Cost-related medication nonadherence is a serious problem in the United States.
Hypertension Management
  • In the US, about 77.9 million adults (one out of every three or 32%) have hypertension based on Joint National Committee 8. About 46% of the US adult have high blood pressure per American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association.
  • Hypertension can lead to stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), or peripheral arterial diseases, chronic kidney disease (CKD) or retinopathy.
Medication Therapy Management (MTM)
  • 32% of adverse events leading to hospitalizations are due to medications.
  • Medication problems plague people of all ages as well as families, caregivers, and the entire health care system.
  • 33-50% of patients are adherent to prescribed medications. Poor medication adherence exacts a heavy toll by resulting in unnecessary illness, disability, and premature deaths, and costs as much as $290 billion a year in unnecessary healthcare spending.
  • Medication-related problems and medication mismanagement are a massive public health problem in the U.S.
  • Medication-related errors are a top preventable cause of serious adverse health events and avoidable readmissions.
  • Non-optimized medication therapy results in 275,689 deaths per year.
  • Estimated 1.5 million preventable adverse events occur each year that result in $177 billion in injury and death.
  • Nearly one in five Medicare patients discharged from the hospital is readmitted within 30 days – that’s approximately 2.6 million seniors at a cost of over $26 billion every year.
Osteoporosis Management
  • Genetic and lifestyle factors influence an individual’s risk for developing osteoporosis.
  • A 10% increase of peak bone mass in all children reduces the risk of an osteoporotic fracture during adult life by 50%. In early adulthood around the mid-20s a person typically achieve peak bone mass.
Precision Medicine - Pharmacogenetics and Nutrigenomics
  • A new study finds that illness and death resulting from the wrong prescription, the wrong dose, skipped doses or new medication-related issues—otherwise known as “non-optimized medication therapy”—cost an estimated $528 billion a year. This represents 16 percent of total U.S. health care expenditures, according to research published in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy.
  • Non- optimized medication therapy results in 275,689 deaths per year.
  • Pain costs an estimated $560 billion to $635 billion annually in lost workdays, medical expenses, and other benefit costs. Pharmacogenetics tests guide optimal pain management.
  • Americans are less than 5% of the world’s population but consume 50% of world’s medicines.
  • 32% of adverse events leading to hospitalizations are due to medications.
  • In the United States, an estimated 25,000 patients per year hospitalized as a result of adverse events associated with antidepressants. According to a study conducted by Mayo Clinic physicians, children who are treated without the benefit of individualized molecular genotyping have only a 60% chance of successful long-term treatment.
  • In 2014, FDA warned of the risk of serious breathing problems in some children who are CYP2D6 ultra-rapid metabolizers.
Therapeutic Weight Loss Management
  • An estimated 97 million adults in the United States are overweight or obese, a condition that substantially raises their risk of morbidity from hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, and endometrial, breast, prostate, and colon cancers.
  • Higher body weights are also associated with increases in all-cause mortality.
  • Obese individuals may also suffer from social stigmatization and discrimination.
  • Overweight and obesity pose a major public health challenge as a major contributor to preventive death in the U.S.
  • Obesity is a complex multifactorial chronic disease that develops from an interaction of genotype and the environment. It involves the integration of social, behavioral, cultural, physiological, metabolic and genetic factors.
Women’s Health and Contraceptive Care Management
  • 43 million women (70%) are at risk of unintended pregnancy.
  • 95% of unintended pregnancies are from inconsistent or no contraceptive use.
  • 61 million women are of childbearing age (15-44 year old).
  • Women are less able to prevent exposure to sexually transmitted diseases because of lack of female-controlled barrier methods.
  • Pregnancy rates for women aged 25–29 have changed relatively little since 1990, while rates for women in their 30s and early 40s increased.