Among U. S. adults aged 50+, 51.2% report that they have hypertension and 44% report high cholesterol. Other prevalent chronic conditions that were self-reported include heart disease (22.3%), mental illness (21.3%), diabetes, 18.8%, arthritis (17.4%), cancer (15.2%) back problems (14.5%) and COPD (14.0%), according to a 2011 analysis of data from the Medical Expenditure Panel survey.