Economics and quality of care for patients with acute coronary syndromes: The impending crisis

Several factors are placing significant financial burdens on the health care system today. These include the growing older population, the obesity and type II diabetes epidemics, and the attendant increased prevalence of heart disease, which remains the leading cause of death in the United States. In response, cardiovascular medicine is undergoing sweeping change in the use of advanced technology and interventions. In addition, biomarkers, such as troponin, are emerging as critical predictors of responses to therapy, particularly for coronary stenting. Future trends in the treatment of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) will embrace the use of genomic solutions, such as gene expression profiling, to predict therapeutic outcomes. Careful consideration will need to be given to these innovative approaches to ensure they are cost effective.