Drug claims for chronic diseases are on the rise, as more young Canadians find themselves diagnosed with chronic physical conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and asthma.
“Chronic diseases don’t discriminate when it comes to age,” says a Sun Life Financial Canada statement announcing the publication of the new report, Chronic disease in the workplace: New insights and strategies to support employee health.
Diabetes is the fastest growing chronic disease
The study analyzes drug claims data from Sun Life’s three million plan members over a five-year period. Across all age groups, 45.1 per cent of all Canadians live with at least one major chronic disease – diabetes being the fastest growing chronic disease with claims up approximately 30 per cent from 2019 to 2023.
“Although older plan members remain more likely to be living with chronic diseases, there is a rise among younger plan members. Between 2019 and 2023, chronic disease drug claims grew much faster for younger members compared to older age groups,” they state.
Drug claims for diabetes, for instance, grew between two and four times faster among those under the age of 30 compared to those between 30 and 60 years of age. Claims for asthma and high blood pressure were similarly elevated among those under age 30. Claims for diabetes and high blood pressure among young women, in particular, are significantly out pacing claims made by younger men.
Claims trend rising among younger women
“When we analyzed both age and gender together, another important trend emerged. Both younger men and women showed significant claims growth across chronic disease drug classes. But the growth among younger women was notably greater in our data. Diabetes and high blood pressure were two clear examples. Drug claims for men and women under age 30 were at similar levels in 2019. But the number of drug claims among younger women began to significantly outpace that of younger men by 2023,” the report states. “This trend is consistent with emerging reports of some chronic diseases affecting women at increasingly younger ages.”
This is concerning, they say, particularly in light of the gender health gap which persists in Canada. “There remains a gender health gap in terms of treating many chronic conditions,” they state. “This makes the upward trend in chronic disease among women that much more concerning.”
The report also looks at the complications of multi-morbidity and at steps employers can take to improve workplace health.
