The World Health Organization ranks the healthcare system of the United States a paltry 37th, but we firmly outstrip the competition in another category: costs. The U.S. leads the world in per capita health expenditures. While the causes are myriad and nuanced, the following ten health conditions are large contributors. (Costs were determined by totaling and the expenses — "defined as payments from all sources for hospital inpatient care" — by condition for all medical care provided in 2008, the latest year for which data is available.) 10. Back problems Cost: $34.6 billion Back problems affect 17.4 million American adults. Treatment costs around $2,000 per year for each afflicted individual. 9. Hyperlipidemia Cost: $38.5 billion Hyperlipidemia is the fancy term for high cholesterol, or elevated levels of lipids in the blood. Around 44.3 million Americans have high cholesterol. A great many of them are treated with drugs called statins, which inhibit the production of cholesterol in the liver. Medical costs for hyperlipidemia tally around $810 for women and $933 for men per year. 8. COPD and asthma Cost: $44.5 billion COPD, comprising chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and asthma are conditions that require constant management, which probably explains their high costs. 34.8 million adults suffer from COPD or asthma. 7. Diabetes Cost: $45.5 billion About 90% of all cases of diabetes are Type 2, the type affected by lifestyle. It costs around $2,200 per year to control the condition, which affects about 10.9 million women and 10 million men. 6. Hypertension Cost: $47.3 billion Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects 55.1 million men and women -- that's 23% of all American adults! While not overly costly on a per capita basis, it can lead to all sorts of life-threatening conditions, like stroke or heart attack. 5. Osteoarthritis Cost: $56.2 billion Feeling pain in the joints of your hands, neck, or knees? You're not alone. Affecting 34.6 million Americans, osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that cushions the joints wears down. As there is no easy way to rebuild cartilage, much of the $1,600 per capita yearly costs go towards pain medication. 4. Mental disorders Cost: $59.9 billion Mental disorders, including insomnia, anorexia, anxiety, and depression, affect 21.4 million women and 11.4 million men. 46% of American adults will qualify for a mental illness at some point during their lives — anxiety is the number one reason. Depression and anxiety affect vastly more women than men, which explains the large gender gap in diagnosis. 3. Trauma-related disorders Cost: $67.3 billion Trauma-related disorders are neuropsychological conditions that arise in the wake of traumatic events. In total, 26.4 million men and women are affected, one-third of them with PTSD: post-traumatic stress disorder. The rates and costs are undoubtedly bolstered from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last decade. 2. Cancer Cost: $71.4 billion While cancer affects the fewest number of Americans out of the top ten costliest medical conditions, it also has the highest per capita costs. To control or treat cancer, the average sufferer will shell out between $4,500 and $5,000 each year out-of-pocket, or through private insurance or medicare. 1. heart disease Cost: $90.9 billion The costliest medical condition in the United States may also be the most preventable. Proper diet, exercise, not smoking, and moderating alcohol intake steeply lower your chances of heart diease. By not taking these steps, you may very well pay in the future, not just with your life, but also with your pocketbook. Medicare and private insurance rarely cover all of the medical expenses, leaving as much as half of the $4,000 yearly costs to patients. [Broken External Image]:http://vanguard.business.gov.au/PublishingImages/iStock_000017433428_Small.jpg source
