Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to place a large burden on individuals, the NHS and the local economy of Manchester.

To support local action, Health Innovation Manchester (HIM) commissioned Frontier Economics to quantify the economic and social costs of CVD across Greater Manchester – and to identify where the biggest opportunities for prevention lie.

Our analysis finds the cost of CVD to the region stands at £2.53 billion a year – including costs to the NHS, the care system, patients, carers and the wider economy.

Understanding the challenge

CVD is a leading cause of illness and death, yet many of its drivers – from diet and exercise to early detection – are modifiable. However, these preventable factors continue to affect a wide cross-section of Greater Manchester’s population, particularly older people, more deprived communities, and those living with multiple health conditions.

Our approach

Frontier developed an impact framework to estimate the full burden of CVD. We combined local NHS and social care data with national and international evidence to assess direct and indirect costs – from treatment and care, to lost productivity, reduced quality of life, and premature death.

We also modelled how costs vary across different population groups and boroughs and estimated the savings that could be made through prevention.

What we found

We estimate that the costs of CVD in Greater Manchester in 2024 were £2.53 billion. These costs are broken down as follows:

• CVD costs the NHS in Greater Manchester £472 million and the formal social care system £423 million a year
• Individuals bear £1.1 billion in costs from reduced quality of life and premature mortality
• Informal carers face a further £213 million in opportunity costs
• Lost productivity adds up to £309 million annually

Across all groups, costs rise sharply with age, multimorbidity and deprivation. Stockport has the highest costs per 1,000 residents; Manchester, the highest total due to population size.

The impact

Our findings provide Health Innovation Manchester with a clear, evidence-led case for targeting CVD prevention where it matters most – supporting strategic planning, resource management and local health equity goals.

Click here to read the full report: Costs of Cardiovascular Disease in Greater Manchester