High cost of heart disease

LONDON - Treating cardiovascular disease costs Britain £17.4 billion ($53.2 billion) a year, 18 per cent of total healthcare and a higher proportion of health spending than in any other EU country, researchers say.

When lost productivity and informal care by family members are included, the bill rises to $88.3 billion annually.

"Our study is the first to systematically estimate the economic burden of cardiovascular disease in the UK," said Jose Leal, a health economist at Oxford University.

Healthcare accounted for about 60 per cent of the total costs while lost productivity was around 23 per cent and informal care 17 per cent, according to the research published in the journal Heart.

Cardiovascular disease is a leading killer in Britain.

High blood pressure, raised cholesterol levels, obesity and smoking are leading risk factors. People who survive a heart attack or stroke often need care and long-term medical treatment.

- REUTERS