Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) costs the world $680bn in healthcare annually – roughly equivalent to Sweden’s entire economy, a 2026 Office of Health Economics (OHE) report has revealed.
This figure could double, reaching a global economic impact of up to $1.4tn (or 0.7% of global GDP), after indirect socioeconomic costs are accounted for.
In fact, in most of the nine core countries analysed, indirect costs of ASCVD outweighed direct, primarily because of productivity losses due to mortality and informal caregiving costs.
Chris Skedgel, Director, Office of Health Economics, said: “This research shows the enormous burden of ASCVD – not just to the healthcare system but to the wider economy.
“What this also tells us is that prevention may have significant pay-offs.”
The burden of moderately elevated LDL-C
Up to one-third of the global burden, $230bn in direct healthcare costs, was attributed to elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) – a modifiable risk factor.
OHE estimated that effective management and prevention of LDL-C could avoid as much as $480bn in direct and indirect costs.
Skedgel continued: “We found that the greatest overall burden comes from the large share of the population with only moderately elevated LDL-C, rather than the much smaller share with extremely high LDL-C.
“This finding is slightly counterintuitive and represents one of the paradoxes of prevention: the greatest benefits of prevention often come from prioritising large moderate risk populations rather than relatively smaller populations with the greatest risks.
“In the context of ASCVD, this suggests early detection and management of moderately-elevated LDL-C may deliver the greatest health and economic gains.
“Investing in prevention means millions of lives lived longer and in better health, and potentially billions saved to the global economy.”
Researchers stressed the importance of investment in preventative therapies.
They reported: “Indeed, improved LDL-C can be attained through better implementation of existing guidelines, increased use of lipid-lowering therapies, and strategic investments in prevention.
“These initiatives not only could align spending with disease burden but also offer the potential to improve population health, reduce hospitalisations, and address health equity concerns – particularly among underserved groups such as women and low-income populations,” authors concluded.
Featured image: Anusorn on Adobe Stock
