An individual with Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) can be affected by having one or more forms of CVD. He or she may have Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), Coronary Heart Disease (narrowing of the arteries that feed the heart with blood), Stroke and/or Heart Failure. Individuals with CVD require long-term treatment medical management and sometimes surgical management to live with the disease. Depending on the severity of the CVD, individuals may live a somewhat normal life ranging all the way to a severely debilitated life.
According to the American Heart Association, from 1996 to 2006, death rates from CVD declined 29.2 percent. In looking at this past statistic, it is evident that death rates associated with CVD are decreasing, yet more people are being diagnosed with CVD. Since treatment of CVD is life-long and ongoing, it's no wonder the costs of treatment are going to go up with these current trends especially taking into account the aging baby boomer population.
The American Heart Association is projecting the following:
- By 2030, 40.5% of the US population is projected to have some form of CVD.
- Between 2010 and 2030, real total direct medical costs of CVD are projected to triple, from $272.5 billion to $818.1 billion.
Yours in health,
Michelle
mlinrn@hotmail.com
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