What are the Top Most Costly Diseases for USA? the Alignment of Burden of Illness with Prevention and Screening Expenditures (Report‪)‬

1. BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION It is difficult to avoid seeing examples of promotional campaigns encouraging women to self examine for potential breast cancer or advertisements for asthma, erectal dysfunction, GERD or hypertension medications. In fact during a typical day, many people are exposed to promotional messages regarding prevention, screening and/or treatment of a number of acute and chronic medical conditions. Logically speaking, it would seem rational to determine which diseases or medical conditions are the most costly to the society and then focus our attention on avoiding, treating or eliminating those medical conditions. But, in fact, as we know, the extent of advocacy against various problems is determined by a number of variables which may include the political connections of those involved, the fame or celebrity of a recent death from a condition or the recent diagnosis in a Hollywood star or famous athlete, or a whole host of other variables which may or may not have any serious connection to the priority of that particular disease state.