Health Disparities in Chronic Diseases: Where the Money Is

Chronic diseases account for three-quarters of the U.S. health care expenditures and a majority of early deaths and lost of productive years of life. Health disparities exist among the common chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, HIV/AIDS, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, with ethnic minorities and the poor having higher incidence or worse outcomes. Strategies to eliminate these disparities in chronic diseases need to be multidisciplinary and focus on increasing access to all aspects of health care, including prevention. This article discusses the impact of health disparities on chronic diseases and offers some factors to consider for solutions to the problem.