Cost-Effective Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease

Healthcare designed to prevent future illness and minimize progression of current illness is a powerful means to improve quality of life, minimize mortality, and decrease health care costs. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the #1 killer of both men and women in the United States. Prevention of CHD involves early identification and management of risk factors through assessment and treatment. The goal in CHD prevention is to produce the largest relative risk reduction, the smallest number needed to treat, and the lowest cost per quality-adjusted life year saved. Evidence-based treatment strategies have been shown to cost-effectively minimize CHD risk and reduce morbidity and mortality. Approaches that encompass the lifespan, solidify assessment and treatment strategies in the primary care setting, and reach into the workplace, schools, churches, and homes to make small changes in risk factors across an entire population are important areas for improving CHD preventive care. Public health policies are also necessary to support implementation of preventive programs.