title: A projection of the impact of lipid-lowering therapy on high-risk employee disability and medical costs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to examine the impact of introducing rosuvastatin calcium on direct and indirect costs among patients at high risk for coronary heart disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  An economic simulation model was developed to project the number of cardiovascular events and associated direct and indirect costs under varying treatment scenarios.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In an average-sized commercial health plan with 210,000 covered lives and 9,336 high-risk patients, an uptake of rosuvastatin by 11% of high-risk patients would result in eight fewer cardiovascular events, a net savings of 0.85 million dollars in direct medical costs and a net savings of 36,404 dollars in productivity loss over a period of 5 years. The overall reduction in total costs is equivalent to 1735 dollars per rosuvastatin-treated patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At current statin prices, the use of rosuvastatin could lead to fewer cardiovascular events and lower direct and indirect costs.
authors.affiliation: Thomson Medstat, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Huse
authors.forename: Setareh A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Gerald M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Borok
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McDonough
authors.forename: Ronald J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Ozminkowski
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017046:Cost Savings; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005464:Fluorobenzenes / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics; D005544:Forecasting; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics; D007354:Insurance, Major Medical / Q000191:economics; D008390:Markov Chains; D017059:Models, Econometric; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics
chemical_list: D005464:Fluorobenzenes; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D011743:Pyrimidines; D013449:Sulfonamides; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium