Direct economic burden attributable to age-related diseases in China: An econometric modelling study

BACKGROUND: Aging is a strong risk factor for many chronic diseases. However, the economic burden attributable to age-related diseases remains unclear. We aimed to calculate the economic burden attributable to age-related diseases in China. METHODS: We used an econometric modelling approach from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS), which is based on a longitudinal observational data set from middle-aged and older adults aged 45+ in 2011, 2013, and 2015. RESULTS: We calculated the total direct economic burden attributable to age-related diseases for outpatient and inpatient services among adults aged 45 and above in China, which was approximately 288.368 billion US dollars (US$), US$379.901 billion, and US$616.809 billion in 2011, 2013, and 2015, respectively, taking up 19.48%, 21.11% and 32.03% of the overall health care expenses in the same year. The proportion of dyslipidemia was the largest, followed by hypertension in all the three years; hearing problems accounted for the lowest proportion. CONCLUSIONS: The alarming upward trend in age-related economic burden in China calls for urgent interventions to prevent or slow down the accumulation of damage associated with age-related diseases.