The economic burden of cerebrovascular diseases in the UK
| Dates: | 2008-2009 |
|---|---|
| Funding: | British Heart Foundation; The Stroke Association |
| Collaborators: | BHF Health Promotion Research Group, University of Oxford |
| Information: | José Leal, Ramón Luengo-Fernández |
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) caused 40% of all deaths in the United Kingdom in 2002. Half of all deaths from CVD are due to coronary heart disease (CHD), and a third are attributable to cerebrovascular diseases, making these the two most common forms of CVD. The objective of this study is to provide estimates of the economic costs of cerebrovascular disease for the United Kingdom, including direct healthcare costs, informal care costs, and productivity losses. Another objective of this study is to observe the disparities in economic costs due to cerebrovascular disease between different regions and between the countries of the UK.
Results
The cost of stroke to the health and social care system of the UK in 2006/07 was just over £2.5 billion. Over 80% of these costs were for inpatient hospital care (£1.1 billion) and residential care (nearly £900 million). This reflects the debilitating impact of stroke on individuals and the long process of rehabilitation.
There is some geographic variation in the cost of stroke to the health and social care system in different countries and regions of the UK. The average cost to the health and social care system in the UK was £42 per capita, but this ranged from £32 per capita in London to £62 per capita in Wales.
The cost of transient ischaemic attacks (TIA) to the health and social care system of the UK was nearly £370 million in 2006/07, far smaller than that of stroke but still a substantial cost. In contrast to stroke, the cost of outpatient care for TIA is greater than that of inpatient care, demonstrating the difference in management of stroke and TIA. The largest element of TIA costs to the health and social care system is for residential care, at nearly £110 million.
As with stroke, there is considerable geographic variation in the costs of TIA to the health and social care system. The costs range from £4 per capita in London to £8 per capita in Wales.
Publications
Leal et al, Stroke Statistics (2009) - details
