The top diseases that won't kill you
- Updated
These diseases won't kill you, but they can make life miserable unless you have a very positive outlook. We begin with the diseases affecting women.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Fatal diseases prevalent among men and women — think breast cancer and heart disease — are well-documented, and take the lives of thousands of Americans each year. Less discussed, however, are the illnesses that affect the well-being of Americans while not costing them their lives.
According to the Global Health Data Exchange, conditions attributed to non-fatal diseases result in the loss of healthy, happy years of life. HealthGrove, a health research site powered by Graphiq, decided to compile a list of the top 10 non-deadly diseases affecting men, and the top 10 non-deadly diseases affecting women. The list is ranked according to ascending US DALY scores, or "Disability Affected Life Years" — the metric used to quantify the amount of healthy years lost — and is counted in years lost per 100,000 people. The list will begin with the 10 health conditions affecting women and will be followed by the conditions with the highest DALY scores for men.
Many of the diseases on our list impact both genders, but they often rank slightly differently according to their DALY metric. Only one disease was unique to each gender as a top non-deadly disease: Men suffer from benign prostatic hyperplasia, while women are more likely to lose significant healthy days from dysthymia.
Click through our list to learn more about the non-fatal health conditions that take the largest toll on men and women.
Photos from Shutterstock.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Female
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 205.5
According to Mayo Clinic, dermatitis refers to inflammation of the skin, often involving a rash and swollen skin that may "blister, ooze, develop a crust or flake off."
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Female
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 214.6
According to the National Center for Biological Information, edentulism is irreversible. Complete tooth loss has declined in recent years, but is still a major disease among older adults throughout the world.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Female
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 216.
The only disease on our list that is not a top non-deadly disease for men, dysthymia is also known as persistent depressive disorder. In adults, it is indicated by a depressed mood that occurs during most of the day for several years.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Female
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 271.1
Osteoarthritis arises as cartilage wears down over time, resulting in pain in the neck, hands, knees, hips or lower back.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Female
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 440.3
Age-related hearing loss can result from many causes in addition to exposure to loud noises -- changes in the structure of the inner ear, changes in blood flow to the ear, as well as diabetes and the use of some medications can cause hearing loss.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Female
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 447.0
According to the Migraine Research Foundation, migraines often run in families; around 90 percent of migraine sufferers have a family history of the condition.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Female
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 642.8
Although most often a result of poor posture, neck pain can occasionally be a sign of something more severe if it is accompanied by numbness or loss of strength in the arms or hands, or shooting pains down the shoulder or arm.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Female
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 823.8
Anxiety disorders like panic disorder, social anxiety disorder or generalized anxiety may be treated by psychotherapy, medication or a combination of both.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Female
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 1,106.8
Although major depressive disorder is also the second highest ranked disease on our list for men, it is responsible for the loss of nearly twice as many healthy days for women. Major depression has a DALY score of 1106.77 for women, compared to that of 632.48 for men.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Female
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 1,546.8
Low back pain may go away by itself in a few weeks, although physical therapy, medication or, in rare cases, surgery may be necessary.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 163.7
According to the Arthritis Foundation, osteoarthritis has multiple causes. Although it was originally believed to be a result of a lifetime of wear on joints, osteoarthritis is now understood to arise from certain genetic traits, injury, some bone and joint disorders, weight gain or overuse.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 165.5
The only disease on our list that is not also a top non-deadly disease for women, benign prostatic hyperplasia refers to an enlarged prostate that can cause difficulty with urination.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 171.2
In adults, tooth loss is most often caused by gingivitis or dental caries. These can arise from poor diet, poor oral hygiene habits or drug use including smoking and chewing tobacco.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 195.6
Migraines can be accompanied by sensitivity to light and nausea, and may cause throbbing of varying intensity in a particular part of the brain.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 195.6
Dermatitis comes in many forms, including contact dermatitis caused by contact with an irritant, eczema, stasis dermatitis caused by inflammation in the legs from fluid buildup or nummular dermatitis, which is characterized by coin-shaped sores.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 452.8
Neck pain is very common, often arising from poor posture such as craning towards a computer screen or workbench. It can also be caused by osteoarthritis, another disease on our list.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 454.1
Anxiety disorders may include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder and social anxiety disorder. Occasional anxiety in life is normal, but anxiety disorders can be severe and may worsen over time.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 545.8
According to Mayo Clinic, one in two adults over the age of 65 have some degree of hearing loss, which can result from aging or chronic exposure to loud noises.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 632.5
Depression symptoms may include feelings of sadness, loss of interest in most normal activities, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, anxiety, concentration difficulties, feelings of worthlessness or guilt and lack of energy.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
- Updated
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 1,350.6
Pain in the lower spine is very common, and can be caused by injury to the muscle or ligament. Improper weight-lifting, poor posture and arthritis can contribute to low back pain.
More like this...
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
Fatal diseases prevalent among men and women — think breast cancer and heart disease — are well-documented, and take the lives of thousands of Americans each year. Less discussed, however, are the illnesses that affect the well-being of Americans while not costing them their lives.
According to the Global Health Data Exchange, conditions attributed to non-fatal diseases result in the loss of healthy, happy years of life. HealthGrove, a health research site powered by Graphiq, decided to compile a list of the top 10 non-deadly diseases affecting men, and the top 10 non-deadly diseases affecting women. The list is ranked according to ascending US DALY scores, or "Disability Affected Life Years" — the metric used to quantify the amount of healthy years lost — and is counted in years lost per 100,000 people. The list will begin with the 10 health conditions affecting women and will be followed by the conditions with the highest DALY scores for men.
Many of the diseases on our list impact both genders, but they often rank slightly differently according to their DALY metric. Only one disease was unique to each gender as a top non-deadly disease: Men suffer from benign prostatic hyperplasia, while women are more likely to lose significant healthy days from dysthymia.
Click through our list to learn more about the non-fatal health conditions that take the largest toll on men and women.
Photos from Shutterstock.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
Gender: Female
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 205.5
According to Mayo Clinic, dermatitis refers to inflammation of the skin, often involving a rash and swollen skin that may "blister, ooze, develop a crust or flake off."
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
Gender: Female
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 214.6
According to the National Center for Biological Information, edentulism is irreversible. Complete tooth loss has declined in recent years, but is still a major disease among older adults throughout the world.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
Gender: Female
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 216.
The only disease on our list that is not a top non-deadly disease for men, dysthymia is also known as persistent depressive disorder. In adults, it is indicated by a depressed mood that occurs during most of the day for several years.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
Gender: Female
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 440.3
Age-related hearing loss can result from many causes in addition to exposure to loud noises -- changes in the structure of the inner ear, changes in blood flow to the ear, as well as diabetes and the use of some medications can cause hearing loss.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
Gender: Female
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 447.0
According to the Migraine Research Foundation, migraines often run in families; around 90 percent of migraine sufferers have a family history of the condition.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
Gender: Female
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 642.8
Although most often a result of poor posture, neck pain can occasionally be a sign of something more severe if it is accompanied by numbness or loss of strength in the arms or hands, or shooting pains down the shoulder or arm.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
Gender: Female
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 823.8
Anxiety disorders like panic disorder, social anxiety disorder or generalized anxiety may be treated by psychotherapy, medication or a combination of both.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
Gender: Female
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 1,106.8
Although major depressive disorder is also the second highest ranked disease on our list for men, it is responsible for the loss of nearly twice as many healthy days for women. Major depression has a DALY score of 1106.77 for women, compared to that of 632.48 for men.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 163.7
According to the Arthritis Foundation, osteoarthritis has multiple causes. Although it was originally believed to be a result of a lifetime of wear on joints, osteoarthritis is now understood to arise from certain genetic traits, injury, some bone and joint disorders, weight gain or overuse.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 165.5
The only disease on our list that is not also a top non-deadly disease for women, benign prostatic hyperplasia refers to an enlarged prostate that can cause difficulty with urination.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 171.2
In adults, tooth loss is most often caused by gingivitis or dental caries. These can arise from poor diet, poor oral hygiene habits or drug use including smoking and chewing tobacco.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 195.6
Dermatitis comes in many forms, including contact dermatitis caused by contact with an irritant, eczema, stasis dermatitis caused by inflammation in the legs from fluid buildup or nummular dermatitis, which is characterized by coin-shaped sores.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 452.8
Neck pain is very common, often arising from poor posture such as craning towards a computer screen or workbench. It can also be caused by osteoarthritis, another disease on our list.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 454.1
Anxiety disorders may include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder and social anxiety disorder. Occasional anxiety in life is normal, but anxiety disorders can be severe and may worsen over time.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 545.8
According to Mayo Clinic, one in two adults over the age of 65 have some degree of hearing loss, which can result from aging or chronic exposure to loud noises.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 632.5
Depression symptoms may include feelings of sadness, loss of interest in most normal activities, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, anxiety, concentration difficulties, feelings of worthlessness or guilt and lack of energy.
- Emily von Hoffman, HealthGrove.com
Gender: Male
US DALY in Years per 100K People: 1,350.6
Pain in the lower spine is very common, and can be caused by injury to the muscle or ligament. Improper weight-lifting, poor posture and arthritis can contribute to low back pain.
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