Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of mortality in the U.S., killing nearly one million Americans each year. This staggering situation created an economic tidal wave estimated at over $368 billion in 2004, according to the American Heart Association (Dallas). Traditional approaches to treatment remain focused on prescription drugs and surgery. But the high costs and undesirable side effects of many standard protocols have forced the medical community to reassess the status quo in dealing with the nation's number one health menace.
Bruce Holub, professor at the University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada) suggests that a proactive, preventive model of health care holds the key to a workable solution for CVD and other chronic diseases appearing at younger ages today than ever before. Holub hypothesizes that such a model--which might include the early introduction of nutraceuticals and functional foods well researched for cardiovascular benefits--could save a minimum of $300 billion dollars annually in health-care costs in North America.