Cardiovascular disease has already cost six EU countries over $100 billion in 2014 alone

Research by Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) into the cost burden of cardiovascular disease has shown that the total direct cost attributable to CVD in 2014 across six European Union countries stands at £66.1 billion ($109.5 billion). This annual figure is comparable to the GDP of a mid-sized country such as Hungary.

The study looked at France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK, and found that across these regions, the greatest total direct costs coming from CVD were in Sweden (£313 per capita) and Germany (£306 per capita). Spain registered the lowest cost, with £101 per capita.

Another substantial cost is lost productivity through long-term illness and death. Between 6% and 11% of CVD deaths in the surveyed nations occur in people of working age, and lost income from early death is estimated to be £16.1 billion, while reduced productivity due to sick days constitutes a further £1.1 billion.