Economic Evaluations of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
Author Information
Author(s): David LB Schwappach, Till A Boluarte, Marc Suhrcke
Primary Institution: Research Institute for Public Health and Addiction, Zurich, Switzerland
Hypothesis
A lack of evidence demonstrating 'returns on investment' in prevention may have contributed to the low priority assigned to it.
Conclusion
There is a significant amount of economic evidence in favor of prevention, but important gaps remain in the literature.
Supporting Evidence
- 195 studies were included in the review, indicating a significant amount of economic evidence.
- The majority of studies were cost-effectiveness analyses focused on clinical prevention.
- There is a clear need for more evaluations of broader health promotion interventions.
Takeaway
This study looked at how much we know about the costs and benefits of preventing heart disease, and found that while we have some information, there's still a lot we don't know.
Methodology
A systematic literature review of journal articles published from 1995 to 2005, focusing on economic evaluations of primary prevention for cardiovascular disease.
Potential Biases
The majority of studies were funded by private industry, which may bias results towards favorable outcomes for clinical interventions.
Limitations
The review may have overlooked important evidence due to strict inclusion criteria and limited database searches.
Participant Demographics
Most studies focused on subjects aged 35–64 years with at least one risk factor.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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