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Productivity losses associated with cardiovascular disease: a systematic review
Adam L Gordois1, Peter P Toth2,3, Ruben Gw Quek4
1a Covance Market Access Services Inc. , Sydney , Australia.
Insights
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) significantly impacts the economy through lost work productivity and premature mortality. Quantifying these costs is crucial for economic evaluations and public health strategies.
Area of Science:
- Health Economics
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) necessitates time off work for recovery, leading to economic repercussions.
- Productivity losses stem from absenteeism, presenteeism, early retirement, and premature mortality due to CVD.
- These impacts affect individuals, employers, and the broader economy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and collate studies quantifying work-related productivity losses associated with CVD.
- To identify the magnitude of economic costs linked to various cardiovascular conditions and events.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature review was performed using Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google.
- Searched for studies published between January 2004 and January 2015.
- Identified 60 studies assessing absenteeism, presenteeism, early retirement, and premature mortality across diverse CVD conditions.
Main Results:
- The review identified substantial morbidity- and mortality-related productivity costs associated with CVD.
- Studies varied in scope, CVD conditions included, and methodology (human capital vs. friction cost).
- Outcomes were standardized to 2015 US dollars where possible.
Conclusions:
- CVD imposes significant economic burdens through productivity losses.
- Findings can inform societal economic evaluations of CVD interventions.
- Selecting appropriate studies based on evaluation context is recommended.
Introduction:
People with cardiovascular disease (CVD) often require time off work to recover from illness or surgery; for example, following a myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke. These individuals incur income losses, work-related productivity is reduced for employers, and output is reduced for the wider economy. Productivity impacts to the economy also arise due to CVD-related mortality. Areas covered: A systematic literature review was conducted to identify and collate studies that report the magnitude of work-related productivity losses associated with CVD generally or specific cardiovascular (CV) events or conditions (coronary heart disease, MI, stroke, transient ischemic attack, angina, heart failure, peripheral artery disease, coronary revascularization). The search was conducted using Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Google to find studies published from January 2004 to January 2015. In total, 60 studies were identified, including 20 studies conducted in the USA, 25 studies conducted in Europe, and 18 studies conducted in other countries (three studies were conducted in multiple regions). The studies differed by the scope of losses assessed (absenteeism, presenteeism, early retirement, premature mortality) and CVD conditions/events included. Studies reported either average patient or population losses, and generally used a human capital rather than friction cost method. Outcomes were standardized and adjusted to 2015 US dollars where possible. Expert commentary: The review demonstrates that CVD imposes substantial morbidity- and mortality-related productivity costs. The studies identified in the review may be used to inform and populate societal economic evaluations in CVD, with the most appropriate source study being that most closely matching the context of the evaluation.
