OTTAWA, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Canada could save 76.4 billion Canadian dollars (about 71.46 billion U.S. dollars) between 2005 and 2020, an average of about 5 billion Canadian dollars a year in health savings, if some of the targets set out by the Canadian Heart Health Strategy and Action Plan (CHHS-AP) are met, according to a Conference Board of Canada report released Monday at a press conference in Ottawa.
The report, The Canadian Heart Health Strategy: Risk Factors and Future Cost Implications, estimates the impact on future health expenditures if Canada were to meet the targeted reductions in heart disease and stroke risk factors outlined in the CHHS-AP report, Building a Heart Healthy Canada. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society joined with the Conference Board to release the findings.
"By 2020, the lower prevalence rate in risk factors will contribute to a reduction of 452,000 cases of ischemic heart disease and 150,000 cases of cerebrovascular diseases," said Louis Theriault, author of the report for the Conference Board. "The cost burden of these diseases will decrease substantially, leading to cost savings for the health system, governments and the Canadian economy."
In 2005, cardiovascular diseases were estimated to be 20.9 billion Canadian dollars in direct and indirect costs. By 2020, total costs are estimated to reach 28.3 billion Canadian dollars ( estimates in constant 2008 dollars).
"Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of deaths, hospital admissions and drug costs in Canada," said Dr. Eldon Smith, who was Chair of the CHHS-AP and renowned Cardiologist.
The five CHHS-AP risk factor targets included in this analysis are: by 2020, decrease the prevalence of high blood pressure in adult Canadians aged 1874 years by 32 percent, work with others to reduce the overall smoking rate by 25 percent.
And by 2015, increase the proportion of Canadian children and adults eating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables per day by 20 percent, increase the proportion of Canadian children and adults who are physically active by 20 percent, and decrease the rate of Canadian adults who are overweight by 20 percent.
Achieving these five risk factor targets would lead to a reduction of 24 percent in ischemic heart disease prevalence, and almost 35 percent reduction in cerebrovascular diseases prevalence.
