During a given year in the U.S., prejudice directed at elderly people — known as ageism — contributed to $63 billion in excess health costs, according to a Yale School of Public Health study.
The study, published in The Gerontologist and directed by Becca Levy, PhD, analyzes how ageism affects the cost and prevalence of health conditions. Researchers studied how unfair treatment of the elderly, as well as negative stereotypes about older individuals, influenced their health.
In a given year, the study found ageism toward individuals age 60 and older is responsible for 17.04 million cases of the eight most costly health conditions. Each year, ageism's $63 billion price tag equates to one of every seven dollars spent on the eight most expensive health conditions for elderly individuals, such as cardiovascular disease, mental disorders and chronic respiratory disease.
"Our findings make a strong case for efforts aimed at reducing the epidemic of ageism, which produces not only a financial cost for society, but also a human cost for the well-being of older persons," Dr. Levy said.
For the full study, click here.