Health E-Stat 105: Chronic Conditions in Adults Age 85 and Older: United States, 2022−2023

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by Yelena Gorina, M.P.H., M.S., and Ellen A. Kramarow, Ph.D.

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In 2023, the number of American adults age 85 and older was 6.1 million (1). By 2040, the number of adults age 85 and older is projected to be 13.7 million, more than double the number in 2023 (1,2). In the United States, chronic diseases are leading causes of illness, disability, and death (3). Adults generally report more chronic conditions as they age, but studies often lack detailed information on chronic conditions for the 85 and older population (4). This report presents estimates of 11 selected chronic conditions in noninstitutionalized U.S. adults age 85 and older overall and by sex. Estimates for the prevalence of multiple chronic conditions also are presented.

Among civilian noninstitutionalized adults age 85 and older, the most common of the selected chronic conditions reported were hypertension (66.9%), arthritis (55.9%), and high cholesterol (46.5%) (Table). Hypertension was the most common chronic condition reported for both women and men, with women (68.9%) having a higher prevalence than men (63.7%). The prevalence of arthritis also was higher for women (63.2%) than men (44.2%). However, men had a higher prevalence than women of high cholesterol (50.5% and 44.0%, respectively), cancer (39.8% and 28.6%), heart disease (31.5% and 26.3%), and diabetes (19.3% and 14.5%) (Figure, Table).

Among adults age 85 and older, 7.4% reported none of the selected chronic conditions, 12.1% reported one condition, 20.8% reported two conditions, 22.3% reported three conditions, and 37.3% reported four or more conditions. No significant differences were seen between men and women in the distribution of number of chronic conditions for the 11 chronic conditions described in this report (Table).

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Data source and methods

Data from the 2022 and 2023 National Health Interview Survey, a survey of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population, were used to present estimates of the percentage of adults age 85 and older with 11 selected chronic conditions. These conditions are included in a list of 20 chronic conditions identified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of an effort to foster a consistent and standardized approach to measuring chronic conditions (5). The questions on these 11 selected chronic conditions were asked consistently in the 2022 and 2023 NHIS. Adults were asked if they had ever been told by a doctor or healthcare professional that they had hypertension; arthritis; high cholesterol; cancer; coronary heart disease, angina, or heart attack; diabetes; dementia; depression; stroke; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, or chronic bronchitis; and asthma (6,7). Estimates are shown for all adults age 85 and older and by sex. Differences between percentages were evaluated using two-sided significance tests at the 0.05 level. All estimates were evaluated using National Center for Health Statistics presentation standards for proportions (8).

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References

  1. U.S. Census Bureau. National population by characteristics: 2020-2024. Datasets: Annual estimates of the resident population for selected age groups by sex for the United States: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023 (NC-EST2023-AGESEX). Available from:
    https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-national-detail.html.
  2. U.S. Census Bureau. 2023 national population projections tables: Main series. Summary tables: Table 2. Projected population by age group and sex. Available from:
    https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2023/demo/popproj/2023-summary-tables.html.
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic disease. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-disease/.
  4. Boersma P, Black LI, Ward BW. Prevalence of multiple chronic conditions among US adults, 2018. Prev Chronic Dis. 2020 Sep 17;17:E106. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd17.200130. PMID: 32945769; PMCID: PMC7553211.
  5. Goodman RA, Posner SF, Huang ES, Parekh AK, Koh HK. Defining and measuring chronic conditions: Imperatives for research, policy, program, and practice. Prev Chronic Dis. 2013 Apr 25;10:E66. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd10.120239. PMID: 23618546; PMCID: PMC3652713.
  6. National Center for Health Statistics. 2022 NHIS questionnaires, datasets, and documentation. 2023. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/documentation/2022-nhis.html.
  7. National Center for Health Statistics. 2023 NHIS questionnaires, datasets, and documentation. 2024. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/documentation/2023-nhis.html.
  8. Parker JD, Talih M, Malec DJ, Beresovsky V, Carroll M, Gonzales JF Jr, et al. National Center for Health Statistics data presentation standards for proportions. Vital Health Stat 2. 2017 Aug;(175):1-22. PMID: 30248016.
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Suggested citation

Gorina Y, Kramarow EA. Chronic conditions in adults age 85 and older: United States, 2022–2023. NCHS Health E-Stat. 2025 Jun;(105):1–5. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc/174611.

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Figures

Figure. Percentage of adults age 85 and older with selected chronic conditions, by sex: United States, 2022–2023
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