Short-term economic and health benefits of smoking cessation: myocardial infarction and stroke

Circulation. 1997 Aug 19;96(4):1089-96. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.96.4.1089.

Abstract

Background: Most analyses of the economic benefits of smoking cessation consider long-term effects, which are often not of interest to public and private policy makers. These analyses fail to account for the time course of the short-run cost savings from the rapid decline in risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stroke.

Methods and results: We estimate the time course of the fall in risk of AMI and stroke after smoking cessation and simulate the impact of a 1% absolute reduction in smoking prevalence on the number of and short-term direct medical costs associated with the prevented AMIs and strokes. In the first year, there would be 924+/-679 (mean+/-SD) fewer hospitalizations for AMI and 538+/-508 for stroke, resulting in an immediate savings of $44+/-26 million. A 7-year program that reduced smoking prevalence by 1% per year would result in a total of 63,840+/-15,521 fewer hospitalizations for AMI and 34,261+/-9133 fewer for stroke, resulting in a total savings of $3.20+/-0.59 billion in costs, and would prevent approximately 13,100 deaths resulting from AMI that occur before people reach the hospital. Creating a new nonsmoker reduces anticipated medical costs associated with AMI and stroke by $47 in the first year and by $853 during the next 7 years (discounting 2.5% per year).

Conclusions: Although primary prevention of smoking among teenagers is important, reducing adult smoking pays more immediate dividends, both in terms of health improvements and cost savings.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders / economics*
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders / prevention & control
  • Cost Savings*
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Health Care Costs
  • Hospitalization / economics
  • Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Mathematics
  • Middle Aged
  • Myocardial Infarction / economics*
  • Myocardial Infarction / prevention & control
  • Prevalence
  • Smoking / economics
  • Smoking / epidemiology
  • Smoking Cessation / economics*