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The Lancet has launched a series of articles focused on chronic diseases. To mark this event, a group of chronic disease experts gathered together in London to discuss the problem and seek to identify solutions. They stated that by reducing salt intake and tobacco use in lesser developed countries, almost 14 million lives could be saved by 2015 at an annual expense of as little as 36 cents a person. Furthermore, the researchers said that providing aspirin, two blood pressure-lowering medicines and a cholesterol-reduction treatment would save another 18 million lives at a cost of $1.10 a person per year.

The five studies look at 23 low- and middle-income countries, where up to 80% of all chronic disease deaths take place.  Some of the countries included: Russia, China, South Africa, India, Brazil, Turkey, Mexico, Poland, Pakistan and Nigeria. The researchers found that almost half of all the deaths were suffered by people less than 70 years old, in other words, people of working age, and this is having a detrimental effect on economic growth. In fact, the researchers estimated that $84 billion of economic production will be lost between 2006 and 2015 if nothing is done to reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

Salt reduction, tobacco limits and multi-drug regimens were deemed to be most effective in combating these diseases. The experts said that lowering salt consumption by 15% a day would save 8.5 million lives by 2015, and tobacco control measures as outlined by the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control could save a further 5.5 million lives.

Source: Bloomberg, 5 December 2007