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. 2014 Feb;56(2):171-6.
doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000066.

A naturopathic approach to the prevention of cardiovascular disease: cost-effectiveness analysis of a pragmatic multi-worksite randomized clinical trial

Patricia M Herman  1 , Orest Szczurko, Kieran Cooley, Dugald Seely
Affiliations

A naturopathic approach to the prevention of cardiovascular disease: cost-effectiveness analysis of a pragmatic multi-worksite randomized clinical trial

Patricia M Herman et al. J Occup Environ Med. 2014 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the cost-effectiveness of a worksite-based naturopathic (individualized lifestyle counseling and nutritional medicine) approach to primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods: Economic evaluation alongside a pragmatic, multi-worksite, randomized controlled trial comparing enhanced usual care (EUC; usual care plus biometric screening) to the addition of a naturopathic approach to CVD prevention (NC+EUC).

Results: After 1 year, NC+EUC resulted in a net decrease of 3.3 (confidence interval: 1.7 to 4.8) percentage points in 10-year CVD event risk (number needed to treat = 30). These risk reductions came with average net study-year savings of $1138 in societal costs and $1187 in employer costs. There was no change in quality-adjusted life years across the study year.

Conclusions: A naturopathic approach to CVD primary prevention significantly reduced CVD risk over usual care plus biometric screening and reduced costs to society and employers in this multi-worksite-based study. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00718796.

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Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.
Flow of participants through the study.
FIGURE 2.
FIGURE 2.
Cost-effectiveness plane for societal perspective.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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