Coronary Artery Disease Costs $156.4 Billion Annually

Coronary artery disease (CAD), the most common form of cardiovascular disease in the United States, is the most costly type of cardiovascular condition to manage, according to the American Heart Association. Of the estimated $448.5 billion in total costs for cardiovascular diseases and stroke in 2008, CAD accounted for $156.4 billion, more than twice the cost of hypertension ($69.4 billion) and stroke ($65.5 billion) (Figure 1). Direct costs associated with CAD were $87.6 billion in 2008, of which prescription drug costs alone were $9.7 billion (Figure 2). Of the $68.8 billion in indirect costs for CAD in 2008, $58.6 billion were associated with lost productivity caused by increased mortality.