Association Between Cardiovascular Health Status and Healthcare Utilization in a Large Integrated Healthcare System

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Health
• Health Economics
• Public Health

Background:

• The American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 (LS7) provides a framework to assess cardiovascular health (CVH) as poor, intermediate, or ideal.
• CVH is determined by modifiable factors including smoking, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, diet, blood pressure, cholesterol, and fasting blood sugar.
• Understanding the relationship between CVH and healthcare utilization is crucial for public health and economic planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between American Heart Association cardiovascular health status and subsequent healthcare utilization.
• To analyze healthcare costs across different cardiovascular health categories and age groups.

Main Methods:

• An observational cohort study was conducted using data from Kaiser Permanente Northern California from 2013-2014.
• Adult patients were categorized into poor, intermediate, or ideal cardiovascular health groups based on LS7 criteria.
• Individual healthcare utilization and costs in 2015 were compared across CVH categories, stratified by age.

Main Results:

• The study included 991,698 adults, categorized by age (18-39, 40-64, ≥65 years) and CVH status (poor, intermediate, ideal).
• Healthcare costs increased with age, but were inversely associated with better CVH within each age group (p<0.001).
• Patients with ideal CVH incurred lower healthcare costs compared to those with intermediate or poor CVH.

Conclusions:

• Younger adults with ideal cardiovascular health demonstrated significantly lower healthcare costs.
• Promoting ideal cardiovascular health through targeted interventions may lead to improved patient outcomes and reduced overall healthcare expenditures.
• These findings highlight the economic benefits of investing in cardiovascular health initiatives.