Arthritis Costs on the Rise
BY LAUREN UZDIENSKI, JANUARY 12, 2007
As reported in the Wall Street Journal this morning, costs relating to arthritis are growing - and this trend is expected to continue, spurned by an aging population and the obesity epidemic.
In 2003, arthritis and related conditions cost the nation $128 billion. This represents a 48% increase over the $86.2 billion spent in 1997. States with the largest arthritis-related costs were California ($12.1 billion), New York and Texas ($8.7 billion each) and Florida ($7.6 billion.)
CDC estimates show that 46.1 million people were treated for arthritis and rheumatic conditions in 2003. 29.5 million of them lost earnings. Between 2005 and 2015, the number of arthritis and related cases is expected to increase by 8 million.
