title: Effect of lovastatin on cardiovascular resource utilization and costs in the Air Force/Texas Coronary Atherosclerosis Prevention Study (AFCAPS/TexCAPS). AFCAPS/TexCAPS Research Group.
abstract: This cost-consequences analysis of the Air Force/Texas Coronary Atherosclerosis Prevention Study compares the costs of lovastatin treatment with the costs of cardiovascular hospitalizations and procedures. The cost of lovastatin treatment was defined as the average retail price and the cost of drug safety monitoring and adverse experiences. Costs were determined by actual rates of hospitalizations and procedures. Within a trial, lovastatin treatment cost approximately $4,654/patient. Lovastatin treatment significantly reduced the cumulative rate of cardiovascular hospitalizations and procedures (p = 0.002). Over the duration of the study, the cumulative number of cardiovascular hospitalizations and related therapeutic procedures was significantly reduced by 29%. The time to first cardiovascular-related hospitalization or procedure was significantly extended by lovastatin (p = 0.002). Lovastatin reduced the frequency of cardiovascular hospitalization (28%), and cardiovascular therapeutic (32%) and diagnostic procedures (23%). Among therapeutic procedures, treatment reduced coronary artery bypass graft surgery by 19% and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty by 37%. Total cardiovascular-related hospital days were reduced by 26% (p = 0.025). The between-group offset in direct medical costs was $524, which resulted in a 11% cost offset of lovastatin therapy over the mean study duration of 5.2 years. Lovastatin provides meaningful reductions in cardiovascular-related resource utilization and reductions in direct cardiovascular-related costs associated with the onset of coronary disease.
authors.affiliation: Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10021, USA.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gotto
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Boccuzzi
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Roehm
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clearfield
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Whitney
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003935:Diagnostic Techniques, Cardiovascular / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D008148:Lovastatin