Are cardiovascular diseases bad for economic growth?

✍ Scribed by Marc Suhrcke; Dieter Urban

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 196 KB
• Volume: 19
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1057-9230
• DOI: 10.1002/hec.1565

✦ Synopsis

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. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.