Dietary supplements may reportedly significantly reduce healthcare expenditures, according to a new study.
A recently released report by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) offers promising insights into the potential for dietary supplements to curb costly medical events and significantly reduce healthcare expenses for the U.S.
Approximately 75% of healthcare spending in the U.S. goes towards people suffering from chronic conditions, which cost the country over $260 billion per year in lost workforce productivity. In comparison, the nation currently allocates less than 3% of total healthcare expenditures to preventive care.
However, the new report suggests investing in preventive care through supplements can help Americans avoid chronic conditions. Dr. Andrea Wong, senior VP of scientific and regulatory affairs at CRN, refers to this strategy as a "no-brainer."
By offering a comprehensive review of the evidence on various dietary supplements, the report determines that taking these supplements at preventive levels can potentially reduce direct and indirect medical costs associated with various chronic conditions. This reduction translates to fewer visits to doctors, hospitals, emergency rooms, procedures, treatments, and prescription medications.
For instance, a preventive regimen of calcium and vitamin D for high-risk populations could prevent approximately 361,507 avoidable medical events, resulting in annual net savings of $179.32 billion. Similarly, if the high-risk population for irritable bowel syndrome took preventive levels of probiotics, over 397 million hours of missed work would be prevented, translating into yearly savings of $110.22 billion.
The report highlights other supplements, such as vitamins B6, B9, B12, and omega-3s, that could prevent costly medical events for people at risk of cognitive decline, coronary artery disease, and age-related macular degeneration. Additionally, supplementing choline for high-risk populations at risk of childhood cognitive development disorders could result in net savings of $1.08 billion per year.
CRN's "Supplements to Savings" report projects that these cost savings could reach billions of dollars, as widespread use of specific dietary supplement ingredients could potentially save hundreds of billions more. According to Michael Meirovitz, CRN's director of government relations, this report serves as a call to action for American healthcare policymakers to shift spending priorities towards preventive care through supplementation for better health and reduced costs.
Although the report does not specify a single, cumulative dollar figure for the estimated national savings, its findings underscore the potential for targeted supplement regimens to generate substantial healthcare cost savings through prevention strategies, while also supporting more than 616,000 American jobs and generating nearly $158 billion in total economic output.
- The Council for Responsible Nutrition's (CRN) report suggests that preventive care through dietary supplements could help Americans avoid chronic conditions, potentially reducing healthcare expenses.
- By taking dietary supplements at preventive levels, high-risk populations could potentially reduce direct and indirect medical costs associated with various chronic conditions, resulting in fewer visits to doctors and hospitals.
- For instance, a preventive regimen of calcium and vitamin D for high-risk populations could prevent approximately 361,507 avoidable medical events, resulting in annual net savings of $179.32 billion.
- CRN's "Supplements to Savings" report projects that these cost savings could reach billions of dollars, and could potentially save hundreds of billions more with the widespread use of specific dietary supplement ingredients.
