Administration must implement policies focusing on prevention and treatment of chronic diseaseWashington, DC – According to a recent report commissioned by the American Heart Association, costs associated with heart disease in the U.S. will reach $818.1 billion a year by 2030. Most of these costs are associated with the treatment of high blood pressure, which the report states are predicted to increase to $389 billion by 2030.Cardiovascular disease is largely a preventable chronic disease, yet the report warns that the number of heart disease cases will grow by 10 percent over the next 20 years if nothing is done. The implications of this will be increasingly widespread including declining quality of life, decreased productivity, higher health care costs and more pressure placed on an already stressed economy.“President Obama and Congress need to address the issue of chronic disease now in order to contain costs and protect the future,” said Ken Thorpe, Ph.D., Executive Director, Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease and Professor and Chair, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University. “Supporting policies that advance necessary research and innovation to treat chronic conditions will save money and lives and help improve the economy by slowing down medical spending. If our government is serious about reducing the deficit, it has a responsibility to enact policies to help keep Americans healthy and productive.”Heart disease, the number one cause of death in the United States and 17 percent of U.S. health spending, is estimated to affect 40 percent of U.S. adults or 116 million people, according to the report. Findings over the past few years incite additional concern over higher medical spending; the report cites recent government data showing that healthcare spending grew to 17.6 percent of U.S. gross domestic product in 2009 from 16.6 percent in 2008.About The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease: The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease is the leading U.S. NGO committed to raising awareness of the number one cause of death, disability, and rising health care costs in the U.S.: chronic disease.