Medicines for normal aging conditions overtakes costs of treating most chronic diseases; Express Scripts

In the USA, prescription-drug treatment regimens for conditions that are a normal part of aging are now costing the nation more than many serious and potentially life-threatening diseases, according to new research from Express Scripts, presented at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA) in San Francisco.

This found that, in 2011, spending on medications for aging conditions - such as mental alertness, sexual dysfunction, menopause, aging skin and hair loss - ranked third in annual prescription-drug costs of the commercially insured, surpassed only by the cost of treating diabetes and high cholesterol.

The research found that among these insured individuals use of drugs to treat the physical impact associated with normal aging was up 18.5% and costs increased nearly 46% from 2006 to 2011. Increased use of these drugs was even more pronounced for the Medicare population (age 65+), up 32% from 2007 to 2011. The largest utilization jump among Medicare beneficiaries was from 2010 to 2011, up more than 13% and outpacing increases in the use of drugs for diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure combined.