Heart disease and cancer are acknowledged to be the the leading causes of death to U.S. citizens. They also comprise some of the leading expenses in modern medicine. The worst part is that most cases of each are preventable with basic lifestyle changes, such as smoking cessation, regular exercise, and eating healthy.
To get an idea of the enormity of the problem, consider that per capita health spending was calculated at $8,311 per person in 2011. Assuming a population of 310 million, this totals over $2.5 trillion per year. Also in 2011, 40.8 percent of deaths were attributed to cancer or heart disease.
The total costs of treatment for heart disease and cancer are difficult to measure. It comes down to several costs that include health services, acute care, hospital stays, surgeries, and even lost income. Heart disease was estimated to cost $444 billion in 2011, and cancer was calculated at $226 billion. Increased spending on healthcare is expected.