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MONDAY, March 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The 10-year costs associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are considerable, according to a study published in the March 13 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Leslee J. Shaw, Ph.D., from the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, and colleagues calculated the 10-year health care costs for 6,814 asymptomatic participants enrolled in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Costs were derived using Medicare nationwide and ZIP code-specific costs. Costs were presented in 2014 U.S. dollars.<\/p>\n
The researchers observed a dramatic increase in the prevalence of risk factors; by 10 years, 19, 57, and 53 percent had diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, respectively. About 40 percent of enrollees had self-reported symptoms. About one-third of enrollees reported having an echocardiogram or exercise test at 10 years; 7 percent underwent invasive coronary angiography. Based on these patterns, the 10-year health care costs were $23,142. Seventy-eight percent of costs were associated with CVD medication use. Outpatient visits and diagnostic testing among the elderly, obese, and those with a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level >3mg\/L or coronary artery calcium score \u2265400 accounted for about $2 of every $10 spent. There was wide variation in costs, from <$7,700 for low-risk to >$35,800 for high-risk subgroups.<\/p>\n
“Maintenance of a healthy population has the potential to markedly reduce the economic burden of CVD among asymptomatic individuals,” the authors write.<\/p>\n
Two authors disclosed financial ties to the medical device and technology industries.<\/p>\n
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