Study: Depression is most expensive health risk factor

Depression is the risk factor most strongly associated with increased per capita medical spending, according to research released this week (Source: "Guess what's the most expensive health risk factor?," (Cincinnati) Business Courier, Nov. 6, 2012).

The study, led by researchers at Emory University and published in the journal Health Affairs, analyzed the health spending of more than 90,000 employees at seven organizations over 3 years to determine areas that employers could focus on to reduce health cost. The researchers found that "high risk for depression" was associated with an per capita increase of $2,184, or 48 percent, of health spending.  

Other risk factors strongly related to increased health costs included high blood glucose, high blood pressure and obesity, which were associated with health spending increases of 31.8 percent, 31.6 percen and 27.4 percent, respectively.

"These findings indicate ongoing opportunities for well-designed and properly targeted employer-sponsored health promotion programs to produce substantial savings," the report found.