Economic Impact of eliminatin heart disease

[Lee Kirksey, MD]

As we continue into this election year, healthcare has been prominent among the major issues of all presidential candidates. Early diagnosis and prevention of cardiovascular disease is a special interest of mine. Why? Not only would many of the devastating consequences of stroke, heart attack, limb loss and renal failure be eliminated and diminish the personal suffering that accompanies these conditions. But the economic impact of eliminating this conditions would be astronomical

Consider this... If alll major forms of heart and blood vessel disease were eliminated, US life expectancy would rise by almost seven years. and the nation would be more than $300 billion richer. This according to a study by the American Heart Association's 2000 Heart and Stroke Statistical Update.

Cardiovascular disease is still the No.1 cause of death for both men and women. Nearly 60 million Americans have some form of heart or blood vessel disease. From recent statistics, cardiovascular disease accounted for about 41 percent of all deaths, or one out of every 2.4 deaths.

[Barbarella]

You can PM me.  Its not a Teaching Hospital but a hospital for the Indigent run by a religious organization with doctors of all faith from the U.S. and from all over the world, they are real doctors/specialists, people who go there who do not have any income at all besides welfare do not have to be of that faith.  

[Momto3]

I'm sitting here LOL!!  That's perfect!!  Now, that I'm "over the hill" I can relate so much better : )

Ya know, I'm wondering if it's like cancer.  We all have it, sometimes it's "activated" sometimes it's not.  I know of people with CAD or cancer and they've followed all the rules.  Then, I know people who ate "LARD" and all the fatty foods....lived to be 90!!  My husband's uncle just died in February, age 99 (bless his heart...lol) - ate WHATEVER he wanted, sharp as a tack till near the very end!  Go figure!  Thanks for enlightening me.  It reminds me of how much we really don't know....

[jim62]

Doin' great !

Think of all the folks you know that have heart disease(s).  Try to sincerely evaluate the risk factors involved, and see what you come up with.  Around here it seems to run about 50-50 between those with few or no risk factors and those who have been doing everything wrong.  It's sooo easy for the doctors to cite risk factors as the cause for almost anything.  Bear in mind, though, that you can get statistics to back up whatever idea you're trying to sell.  Gotta admit, though, that I have no clue as to the whys of it.

In any case, I am convinced that heart disease (any disease) is something you either get or you don't.

Gotta add my favorite "risk factor" tale.  It's the one that goes ".......could have been something you did 40 years ago".  LOL

And, maybe not ??

[Momto3]

Your story is remarkable.  We hear so much about what we can control, and then along somes someone like you who had no risk factors and ends up with significant CAD.  

Do the doctors really say, " "Heredity has to start somewhere"?   While I believe that most people with CAD have risk factors, I don't understand how something this serious shows up with no indication ahead of time.  Scary.

Hope you're faring well these days!

[Momto3]

What major city do you live near?  We can try and help you find a teaching hospital nearby.  Hope you're doing OK today.

[vsahatoo]

Please tell me where I can go and get this check up for one dollar and I would gladly go. I have indicated to you previously that I am new to this country I do not know much. People here who I talk to appears not to know where I can go.
                                                                Thank you,
                                                                      vsahatoo

[jim62]

All those "risk factors" and the control thereof are pretty impressive until you come upon someone like me.  I had NONE of them, up to and including family history.  Yet, here I am with 5 stents and 3 bypasses.

So much for preventable..........

All the cardiologists could say was "Heredity has to start somewhere".  Very comforting.

[e.r.boy]

I truly believe we are like fish out of water. Humans have changed so much of their lifestyle and diet in the last 150 years that are bodies cannot handle it. The meat we used to eat was lean because the animals were lean. We have not evolved to eat the processed carbs that dominate the store shelves. We are sedentary. It really hit home for me when Dr. Mehmet Oz said he had a really tough time finding a healthy human artery to show his audience, because all the cadavers he looked at were diseased. This shows you just how bad it has gotten. We are obcessed with producing drugs rather than finding the source of this epidemic of risk factors.

[Lee Kirksey, MD]

Its not meant to be a political statement. My intention is to suggest that Cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death for men and women in the US is preventable. To a large degree, it is a disease of industrialized nations. The risk factors are preventable and include diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and smoking. All of these risk factors, except smoking are diet related diseases. Smoking is a life style choice influenced by a historically savvy tobacco industry.

Politics aside, each of of have the opportunity to influence our own personal health by making healthy, informed lifestyle choices based upon the available information.

Its a speech to the choir in this setting becaue med help epitomizes the community of individuals who have taken the initiative to get more information and to make better choices.

I personally have no preference in the discussion of a government system or private payor system. Medicare is government subsidized private payment in my opinion.

[jim62]

What is your point?  Are we supposed to vote for someone in particular?  Or do something?  Or say something?

Gotta make it a good bit simpler, whatever it is..........

[Barbarella]

"Early diagnosis and prevention" is very good IF people go for check ups.  I have a realitive who works in a hospital for the "Indigent" in CA and all they are asked is to pay $1.00 for each visit that covers everything, tests, treatments, meds the whole nine yards.  Most of them do not pay that $1.00 (they know they cannot be refused and that is why they do it) but you can see them standing outside of the hospital smoking brand name cigarettes as in Marlboro.  When my husband still smoked he smoked generics yet these people who wont pay $1.00 for their visit have money to buy Marlboro, generics are not good enough.  I saw it with my own eyes.

They would get FREE checkups but lots of them do not come for these free checkups whether its vital signs, cholesterol/diabetes screening, mammograms etc etc.  When they do have an appointment lsome of them do not show up and do not even have the decency to call and cancel.

When they get sick they then show up.  Heart patients get all the tests and treatments for free including heart surgery.  After a heat attack they are suppose to show up for rehab again for free, some of them never show up for their rehab.

But all of them no matter what was/is wrong with them show up for their refills of meds.  When they don't show up for their appointments and they are called and questions some of them give answers as in "something else came up".  

Of course not all of them act like that but to many do.

We can have the best healthcare but people have to be willing to come in for preventive checkups.

I've worked with intelligent adults who had very good health insurance and some of them did not go for preventive checkups their excuse was  "no time, this wont happen to me, this is for old people" Again, not all are like that but to many are.

When they DO get sick they then expect the doctors and hospitals to cure them/fix them up ASAP.  And if they are told that their illness could have been prevented had they only come for preventive checkups they do not want to hear it, and some of them hate the doctors for saying that.

I experienced the same when I worked in a hospital.

Whether we have government run healthcare or not, ALL people have to be WILLING to go for their preventive checkups, unfortunately this is not the case with many.

[Flycaster305]

I read into this post an opinion to support candidates who favor a system of early diagnosis and prevention of cardiovascular disease, nothing more and nothing less, and very well stated.  Thank you, Doctor.  

[JKJ]

I agree good healthcare is important, if I read into this post, I'm guessing your in favor of a government healthcare system.  I have to disagree.  There already exists a government healthcare system within the United States and it's failing horribly.  It's called the VA (Veteran's Administration).  It is completely run and paid for by the government, just like any other healthcare system would be that would be run by the government.  Horrible doctors providing horrible care.
Not the way to go.

[momtofourboys]

Thank you for your post it is quit interesting. I agree with how important it is to have a good health care system
michelle

[Momto3]

Hello!

Nice to see you over here : )

Great post!!  The elimation of heart and blood vessel disease would bring incredible financial relief to this entire country!  I can only begin to imagine the positive impact in so many other areas.  Thanks so much for reminding us of the importance of a good healthcare system!

Connie