title: Impact of rosuvastatin use on costs and outcomes in patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease in US managed care and medicare populations: A data analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High blood cholesterol is a major modifiable risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to estimate the economic impact of rosuvastatin calcium use in patients at high risk for CHD and stroke, according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III guidelines.
  
  
  METHODS
  An economic simulation model was developed that used a Markov process to project the number of cardiovascular events and associated costs in a high-risk population in various treatment scenarios. According to the ATP III, high-risk patients are those with CHD, atherosclerosis of peripheral and/or cerebral arteries, diabetes, and/or multiple other risk factors conferring a risk of at least 20% within 10 years. Data on population characteristics and costs of cardiovascular disease (CVD) were obtained from claims data sets from employer-funded commercial and Medicare health plans in the United States. Treatment of lipid disorders was translated into CVD risk reduction based on results from the Heart Protection Study. The estimated efficacies of individual lipid-lowering drugs were based on data published in package inserts. The model generated costs at the health plan level of lipid-lowering therapy in high-risk patients and the number and total costs of cardiovascular events. Estimates were compared for scenarios representing the mix of treatments used before and after the introduction of rosuvastatin. Estimates were generated separately for commercial and Medicare health plans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For every 1 million members of a commercial health plan, an estimated 44,457 met ATP III criteria for high-risk status. Use of rosuvastatin in place of other 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors ("statins") by 11 % of these patients over a period of 5 years was estimated to result in 36 fewer cardiovascular events and a net savings of US 4.03 million dollars. A Medicare plan of 1 million members with an estimated 433,268 high-risk patients and 7% rosuvastatin use was estimated to avoid 727 events and save US 34.32 million dollars.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this data analysis suggest that increasing the use of rosuvastatin can result in cardiovascular event reduction and cost savings. Because the impact of lipid-modifying therapy on cardiovascular risk has not been thoroughly documented in controlled clinical studies, our model assumed that incremental lipid changes had effects in proportion to the magnitude of change.
authors.affiliation: Thomson Medstat, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. Dan.Huse@Thomson.com
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Huse
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Ronald J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Ozminkowski
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maguire
authors.forename: Setareh A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Gerald M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Borok
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McDonough
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D005464:Fluorobenzenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018803:Models, Economic; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D005464:Fluorobenzenes; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines; D013449:Sulfonamides; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium