Costs of stroke treatment expected to rise over the next few years

Stroke is currently listed as one of the leading causes of death among Americans. The American Heart Association (AHA) reports that almost 1 in 25 Americans will suffer from a stroke, and stroke incidence is estimated to increase by 20% by 2030.

Image Source: kurzweilai.net

Meanwhile, the AHA also reported on its journal Stroke that the costs of treatment may likewise surge from $72 billion to $183 billion. The annual cost of the illness due to the lack of productivity is also expected to sharply increase. The high cost of stroke is attributed to the fact that most of them lead to permanent disability. According to the AHA report, only 10% of stroke sufferers fully recover while 90% of the sufferers end up with some form of disability after the stroke.
 

Image Source: abcnews.go.com

Making matters worse is that the people found to be at high risk of suffering from a stroke, among other heart-related conditions, were 45 to 64 year-olds. Individuals belonging in this age group may find more trouble with the cost of care because they are still too young for Medicare, and many of them tend to not have insurance.

Given these predictions, health experts are recommending a preventive approach to dealing with the problem. About 80% of strokes are preventable, and controlling factors like cholesterol and blood sugar levels early may allow a person to avoid the phenomenal costs later on.

Image Source: pvhmc.org

Steven Lash is a seasoned healthcare executive and entrepreneur. He is currently the president and CEO of Satori World Medical. Find more news about the healthcare industry at www.satoriworldmed.com.