Benefit of a Favorable Cardiovascular Risk-Factor Profile in Middle Age with Respect to Medicare Costs

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 339; no. 16; pp. 1122 - 1129
• Main Authors: Daviglus, Martha L, Liu, Kiang, Greenland, Philip, Dyer, Alan R, Garside, Daniel B, Manheim, Larry, Lowe, Lynn P, Rodin, Miriam, Lubitz, James, Stamler, Jeremiah
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, MA Massachusetts Medical Society 15.10.1998
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular Diseases - economics; Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology; Chicago - epidemiology; Cholesterol; Coronary heart disease; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Care Costs - statistics & numerical data; Health care expenditures; Health Expenditures - statistics & numerical data; Health Services - statistics & numerical data; Health Services - utilization; Heart; Hospital Charges - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Medicare; Medicare - economics; Medicare - statistics & numerical data; Medicare - utilization; Men; Middle Aged; Neoplasms - economics; Risk Factors; United States; Chicago; United States; United States > US; Chicago Illinois; Human; Middle age; Low; Health economy; Risk factor; Cardiovascular disease; Cost analysis; Elderly; Public health
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199810153391606

People without major risk factors for cardiovascular disease in young adulthood and middle age are at lower age-specific risk for death from cardiovascular causes, noncardiovascular causes, and all causes 1 – 3 and consequently have greater life expectancy than others in the population. The merits of having a favorable risk-factor profile may extend even further. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that low-risk status earlier in adulthood relates to lower health care costs in older age. As the population ages, this is an increasingly important issue with respect to expenditures for health care under Medicare, the largest single source of health care . . .