Lifestyle Changes Could Save S'pore $650m in Healthcare Costs: Study

Diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease projected to spike among older adults by 2050

- Joyce Teo

If Singaporeans made sustained and long-term changes to their lifestyles, the Republic could save up to $650 million in direct healthcare costs by 2050.

This is according to a recently published modelling study that looked into how changing the way they live over 30 years could affect the health and healthcare spending of Singapore's Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnic groups.

It simulated the effects of ageing over 30 years, and showed that the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, stroke and heart disease is projected to increase sharply among older adults by 2050.

This increase, coupled with the development of more advanced treatments, will propel the demand for healthcare and healthcare infrastructure, potentially driving medical inflation and overall expenditure.

The study also showed that cost savings would arise due to people not experiencing significant changes in their chronic health issues - such as high blood pressure - as they age, and not so much because the lifestyle interventions led to widespread improvements in health outcomes or extended lifespans.

Only a small group - approximately 3 per cent to 7 per cent of older adults - would see improvements in their chronic disease status, live longer, and enjoy more disability-free years.