In 2005, about 60 percent of the adult U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population age 18 and over had at least one chronic condition, according to a new study published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The proportion of adults with at least one chronic condition increased dramatically with age, ranging from 36.4 percent of young adults age 18-34 to 91.5 percent of the elderly age 65 and over. The proportion of persons with two or more chronic conditions also rose dramatically with age, ranging from only 14.4 percent among individuals age 18-34 to 76.6 percent of the elderly age 65 and over. Read the statistical brief.
