TheU.S. spent $1.7 trillion treating patients with chronic conditions in2007—the equivalent of 34 million annual salaries of $50,000,according to the second annual Almanac of Chronic Disease, which wasreleased Thursday.

Thereport comes from the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) acoalition of patients, providers and physicians. Among the group’sfindings: chronic disease treatments in the U.S. may add up to $150billion in unnecessary healthcare spending; chronic care treatmentsare linked to nearly two-thirds of healthcare spending increasessince the mid-1980’s; chronic disease accounts for 70% of alldeaths in the U.S.

Areport released last year from the Agency for Healthcare Research andQuality found that nearly all seniors have at least one chroniccondition. Nine out of 10 have one chronic illness, such as heartdisease, diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Up to 77%reportedly have two or more such conditions. More information isavailable at www.fightchronicdisease.org.