[EQ] Will Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Widen Health Inequalities?

Will Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Widen Health Inequalities?

Simon Capewell 1*, Hilary Graham 2

1 Department of Public Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
2 Department of Health Sciences, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom

PLoS Medicine | www.plosmedicine.org -  August 24, 2010 | Volume 7 | Issue 8 | e1000320

Available online at: http://bit.ly/afZ8nn

“……….Several high-income countries, including the United Kingdom, are tackling ‘‘health inequalities’’ [1]. In 2009, the various UK governments announced large-scale programmes to screen and treat cardiovascular risk [2]. The respective health ministers stated that the programmes would reduce health inequalities, although opposition parties generally predicted the opposite [3]. The potential effects of any screening policy on health inequalities clearly need to be urgently considered, not least in order to inform current policy development in the UK [4,5] and internationally [6].

The primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is dependent on the effective reduction of the major risk factors, particularly by reducing tobacco use and adopting a healthier diet [2].

However, the substantial excess burden of morbidity and mortality due to CVD in disadvantaged groups raises major challenges. Social gradients in the major cardiovascular risk factors can explain approximately three-quarters of this excess burden; smoking alone can explain more than half [7,8].

Assessing the potential effect of risk factor reductions on socioeconomic inequalities in health is crucial……….”

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