Cardiovascular diseases, which include heart disease and stroke, kill more Americans than any other condition. This is more than all forms of cancer and accidental deaths, the #2 and #3 causes of death, according to the American Heart Association. It also drains billions from the U.S. economy through hospitalizations, lost productivity, and long-term treatment. Yet much of that suffering and cost is preventable.
The problem, shares Dr. Ifeoma Maureen Obionu, is how the system is built. “Too often, our system rewards treatment over prevention,” she said. “To reverse that, we need to align our incentives with outcomes that truly matter, which is keeping people healthy.”
Dr. Obionu is a physician and public health researcher whose career spans Nigeria, the U.K., and the U.S. She has seen firsthand how health systems succeed and also fail, depending on how they invest in people’s everyday well-being. Her mission now is to bridge those insights into scalable, data-driven solutions that make prevention both practical and profitable.
In a country where healthcare spending hit $4.5 trillion in 2022, prevention still is not the priority that it should be. The system pays for procedures, not progress. Dr. Obionu argues that must change. “We need payment models that prioritize prevention, things like hypertension control, diabetes prevention, or early screening outcomes, rather than just reimbursing treatment after complications occur,” she said.
That shift, she believes, can’t rest on hospitals alone. Employers and health plans have a role too. “When prevention becomes financially rewarding for providers, systems, and businesses, it naturally becomes the smart business move.”Prevention doesn’t stop at the clinic door. “Health doesn’t happen only in clinics. It also happens where people live, work, and learn,” Dr. Obionu said. That’s where startups and technology come in. Digital platforms can connect patients to local food programs, track health habits, and provide nudges that encourage small daily changes. AI-powered tools can help health systems spot disparities by geography or income and direct resources where they’re needed most.
For founders in health tech, this opens an enormous market opportunity. Dr. Obionu sees room for innovation that blends empathy with design. She hopes to see more apps that make prevention easier to fit into real life. “Many people don’t have time or motivation to prioritize their health because real life is busy. Startups can help by creating human-centered tools that fit naturally into daily life,” she said.
Research shows that roughly 80 percent of cardiovascular disease and diabetes could be prevented by addressing modifiable risk factors like diet, exercise, and smoking. There are programs like Million Hearts that have already proven the payoff, preventing countless heart attacks and strokes. Dr. Obionu argues that the economic case for prevention is undeniable. It means a healthier workforce, higher productivity, fewer sick days, and lower disability claims.
Another breakthrough she’s championing is the polypill approach, a fixed-dose combination therapy that combines several medications into a single pill. “It’s simple, cost-effective, and helps with adherence, which is one of the biggest challenges in chronic disease management,” she explained. The FDA recently approved GMRx2, a single pill containing three blood pressure-lowering drugs. If adopted nationally, the polypill approach could dramatically reduce hospitalizations and deaths from hypertension, while cutting costs for both patients and payers.
Even the most innovative ideas need infrastructure to succeed. Dr. Obionu points to policies that expand preventive benefits like coverage for home blood pressure cuffs or produce prescriptions. Even small changes can add up, especially when it comes to health. Equally important, she says, are cross-sector partnerships between hospitals, public agencies, community organizations, and technology companies. “When prevention is supported by sound policy and strengthened through collaboration, it becomes both equitable and sustainable,” she said.
If given the chance to rebuild the system from scratch, Dr. Obionu would design one that’s “prevention-centered and person-centered.” That means starting in communities, linking data and services, and empowering entrepreneurs to innovate with inclusion in mind. “The ultimate goal is a system where prevention is the norm and care evolves through continuous learning, using evidence, data, and real-world experience to guide what works,” she said.
Heart disease remains America’s costliest and deadliest challenge, but Dr. Obionu sees it as one of the country’s greatest opportunities for change. Her work combines a global perspective and healthcare innovation to create a U.S. healthcare model built on prevention, not crisis. Her goal is that healthy living is accessible in every ZIP code, and keeping people healthy becomes as valuable as treating them. The lesson for founders and investors is that the future of healthcare isn’t just about curing disease. It’s about building the tools, systems, and incentives to prevent it. And that future, she believes, is closer than we think. For America, this would lead not only to better health, but a stronger economy, a more resilient workforce, and millions of lives lived longer and better.
