Prevalence, costs, and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia: a managed care perspective.
BACKGROUND
The number of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementia treated in managed care organizations (MCOs) is increasing, and this trend is expected to continue. Therefore, it is critical that MCOs develop disease management strategies for this population.


OBJECTIVE
To review the literature on the prevalence, costs, and treatment of AD and related dementia.


METHODS
Review of published articles from MEDLINE and peer-reviewed journals.


RESULTS
Prevalence of AD and related dementia is approximately 5.7% among those aged 65 and older. Prevalence data from claims-based studies of AD in managed care are lower, ranging from 0.55% to 0.83%. Costs for formal care average $27,672 per patient annually, with long-term care being the most costly component. Annual costs for informal care are estimated to be $10,400 to $34,517 per patient. Additional costs associated with AD include lost wages and productivity of patients and caregivers and costs associated with increased morbidity of caregivers. Donepezil treatment is well tolerated and has been extensively tested and evaluated in clinical settings. Early diagnosis and treatment of AD with donepezil has been shown to slow cognitive decline in AD. Although study findings regarding the cost offsets of donepezil-treated patients to date are mixed, there is a growing body of evidence to support the inclusion of this and other therapies into an MCO's AD treatment armamentarium.


CONCLUSIONS
It is unlikely that MCOs will escape the increased prevalence and costs associated with AD. Opportunities exist through patient management programs targeted toward early diagnosis, effective use of medications, control of comorbidities, and patient and family support to partially offset these costs while providing quality patient care.
Rice
D P
DP
Institute for Health and Aging, University of California at San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Suite 340, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA. rice@itsa.ucsf.edu
Fillit
H M
HM
Max
W
W
Knopman
D S
DS
Lloyd
J R
JR
Duttagupta
S
S
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D017281:Cost of Illness; D000077265:Donepezil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008484:Medicaid; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010880:Piperidines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D007189:Indans; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D010880:Piperidines; D000077265:Donepezil