The cost of treating heart disease in America will triple over the next two decades – an estimated $545 billion increase, according to the American Heart Association’s (AHA’s) journal Circulation. The AHA says we need to employ effective strategies urgently to prevent stroke and heart disease to stem the growth of a rapidly-growing financial burden.

Paul Heidenreich, M.D., chair of the American Heart Association expert panel, said:

“Despite the successes in reducing and treating heart disease over the last half century, even if we just maintain our current rates, we will have an enormous financial burden on top of the disease itself.”

The experts based their calculations on existing disease rates, along with census data to adjust for anticipated population changes in race and age. Their methods were such that counts for individuals with multiple heart conditions were not doubled up.

Heidenreich said:

“These estimates don’t assume that we will continue to make new discoveries to reduce heart disease. If our ability to prevent and treat heart disease stays where we are right now, costs will triple in 20 years just through demographic changes in the population.”

According to The Panel, 17% of overall US health expenditure goes on cardiovascular disease. There is an urgent need to implement effective prevention strategies.

Nancy Brown, American Heart Association CEO., said:

“Unhealthy behaviors and unhealthy environments have contributed to a tidal wave of risk factors among many Americans. Early intervention and evidence-based public policies are absolute musts to significantly reduce alarming rates of obesity, hypertension, tobacco use and cholesterol levels.”

The American Heart Association says that 36.9% of the US population has some kind of heart disease, such as hypertension, heart failure, stroke, or coronary heart disease. The AHA estimates that this figure will rise to 40.5% within the next 20 years. Stroke incidence will most likely rise by 24.9% and heart failure by 25%.

The 2008 medical care for heart disease bill of $373 billion will probably reach $818 billion by 2030, the authors added.

Heidenreich said:

“We were all surprised at the remarkable increase in costs that are expected in the next two decades. We need to continue to invest resources in the prevention of disease, the treatment of risk factors and early treatment of existing disease to reduce that burden.”

Just productivity loss due to heart disease is expected to rise from $172 billion in 2010 to $276 billion in twenty years’ time. The authors explained that they define productivity loss as days missed from home or work duties, as well as monies not earned because the patient died early.

“Forecasting the Future of Cardiovascular Disease in the United States – A Policy Statement From the American Heart Association”
Paul A. Heidenreich, MD, MS, FAHA et al
Circulation. 2011;0:CIR.0b013e31820a55f5

Written by Christian Nordqvist