The cost of heart attacks

Every heart attack this year will cost Australia an average of $281,000 and each chest pain event an average of $74,000, including the value of healthy life lost.

According to a report released by Access Economics, expanding health bills and lost productivity from these events are creating an expensive but partly preventable burden on the economy.

Access Economics director, Lynne Pezzullo, said the report’s findings quantified impacts and also helped identify solutions for health policy making in Australia.

“We calculate there will be 55,074 sudden heart attacks and 32,452 cases of chest pain costing Australia a total of $17.9 billion this year. There are also cost effective ways of reducing this burden in the future,” said Ms Pezzullo.

The report’s findings have prompted a response from a coalition of cardiac groups, including the Baker IDI and Heart Support Australia, concerned about the large number of heart attacks and chest pain events, and the significant gaps in treatment available to Australians.

“With nearly 90,000 heart attack and chest pain events, enough to almost fill the Melbourne Cricket Ground, expected in 2009, we need to introduce a national approach to the full spectrum of heart attack and chest pain treatment.

“Most specifically the 12 months after an event is critical, but we still only have 30% of people receiving or taking up comprehensive care,” said Professor Karlheinz Peter, cardiologist and head of research on atherothrombosis and vascular biology, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.

“Nearly 10,000 people are projected to die of a heart attack in 2009, enough to fill the Sydney Opera House twice over. Getting faster treatment is key. When early symptoms are recognised, treatment during ambulance transfer and immediately upon admission to the emergency department, or getting to a catheterisation laboratory quickly, will all reduce this number,” Professor Peter said.

“Ongoing compliance with medicines and life style changes will help prevent a second event”.