Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions that cause weight loss and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease

Background Overweight/obesity is associated with significant morbidity, mortality and costs. Weight loss has been shown to reverse some of these effects, reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to determine potential monies available, from an English National Health Service perspective, for weight loss interventions to be cost-effective in the prevention of CVD. Methods A Markov model was developed, populated with overweight/obese individuals from the Health Survey for England aged 30-74 years, free of pre-existing CVD, and with available risk factor information to calculate CVD risk. All individuals were free of CVD at baseline and with each annual cycle, could transition to other health states of primary CVD, secondary CVD or death according to transition probabilities for a maximum period of ten years, or until death. Utilities, costs and the effects of weight loss on CVD risk factors were applied. The potential monies available for CVD prevention strategies provided the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio met UK arbitrary limits of between £20 000 and £30 000 was determined. Results Applying the effects of weight loss on CVD risk factors prevented 12 CVD events and saved 12 quality-adjusted life years over 10 years per 1 000 individuals. £27-£39 was available per person per year for up to 10 years when meeting the UK arbitrary limits. Conclusions Individual annual financial allowances for weight loss interventions to be considered cost-effective is relatively low; however, as a large proportion of the population is affected, wide cheap societal interventions are important.