Are cardiovascular diseases bad for economic growth?
Health Economics 2010
Suhrcke M, Urban Dvan Assema P
DOI : 10.1002/hec.1565
URL : http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hec.1565
Abstract
We assess the impact of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality on economic growth, using a dynamic panel growth regression framework taking into account potential endogeneity problems. In the worldwide sample we detect a non-linear influence of working age CVD mortality rates on growth across the per capita income scale. Splitting the sample (according to the resulting income threshold) into low- and middle-income countries, and high-income countries, we find a robust negative contribution of increasing CVD mortality rates on subsequent five-year growth rates in the latter sample. Not too surprisingly, we find no significant impact in the low- and middle-income country sample.