U.S. Disease Incidence and Prevalence

This report examines the etiology and epidemiology, number of hospital discharges, incidence and prevalence, and mortality rates of the most prevalent diseases/ disorders in the United States for the years 1999-2009, and 2011 (with incidence and mortality figures for 2012 when available). Categories covered by this report include:

• blood disorders (anemia and hemophilia);

• cancer (such as that of the breast, colon/rectum, lung, nervous system, ovaries, pancreas, prostate, and skin);

• cardiovascular diseases/disorders (such as atherosclerosis, heart failure, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, pacing disorders, and valvular heart disease);

• gastric and metabolic diseases/disorders (such as diabetes, gastroesophageal reflux disease, irritable bowel syndrome, kidney disease, and obesity);

• musculoskeletal diseases/disorders (arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, muscular dystrophy, and osteoporosis);

• neurologic and psychiatric diseases/disorders (such as Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral disease, depression, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, and stroke);

• ophthalmic diseases/disorders (cataracts and glaucoma);

• reproductive and genitourinary disorders (such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, erectile dysfunction, infertility, and urinary incontinence);

• respiratory diseases/disorders (such as apnea, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, emphysema, pneumonia, respiratory failure, and tuberculosis);

• sexually transmitted diseases (genital herpes and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome); and,

• skin wounds (such as diabetic and pressure ulcers, surgical wounds, and traumatic wounds).

In addition to proprietary data, many government and nonprofit organizations have provided data and hospital discharge information including the Alzheimer’s Association; American Academy of Ophthalmology; American Academy of Pediatrics; American Burn Association; the American Cancer Society; American Diabetes Association; American Gastroenterological Association; American Heart Association; American Lung Association; American Parkinson Disease Association; American Sleep Apnea Association; American Stroke Association; Arthritis Foundation; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; Endometriosis Association; Hydrocephalus Association; International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders; International Kidney Stone Institute; Multiple Sclerosis International Federation; Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America; National Cancer Institute; National Center for Health Statistics; National Eye Institute; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Hemophilia Foundation; National Human Genome Research Institute; National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; National Institute of Mental Health; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; National Kidney Foundation; National Osteoporosis Foundation; National Women’s Health Information Center; Society of Interventional Radiology; United States Bureau of Labor Statistics; and United States Renal Data System, among others. While secondary sources are believed to offer the best data on disease/disorder incidence and prevalence, the estimation of trends from these data is complicated by periodic changes in reporting and classification methods. Figures cited are for the most recent years available.