Utility loss and indirect costs following cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients: the ASCOT health economic substudy.
This study assessed the loss of utility and indirect costs associated with first cardiovascular events. Data was collected (using EQ-5D) prospectively at 3, 6, and 12 months following an event in the Swedish part of the Anglo-Scandinavian cardiac outcomes trial (ASCOT), including patients with mild to moderate hypertension and additional risk factors. Sixty patients were eligible for analysis. An event was associated with a one-year utility loss of 0.075 (95% CI: 0.038-0.114). For a stroke, the reduction was 0.145 (CI: 0.059-0.249) and for acute coronary syndromes (myocardial infarction or unstable angina) the loss was 0.051 (-0.003 to 0.103). The utility at baseline was no different to the utility in a control group. The indirect cost over the first 12 months (2003 Swedish Kronor, SEK) was 90028 SEK (CI: 46027-146754), 9866 euro for patients in the workforce. These results are helpful in future economic evaluations of primary preventive measures in cardiovascular medicine.
Lindgren
Peter
P
European Health Economics, Vasagatan 38, 111 20 Stockholm, Sweden. peter.lindgren@healtheconomics.se
Kahan
Thomas
T
Poulter
Neil
N
Buxton
Martin
M
Svarvar
Patrick
P
Dahlöf
Björn
B
Jonsson
Bengt
B
D000041:Absenteeism; D000368:Aged; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000191:economics*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000191:economics*; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000191:economics*; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000191:economics*; D013548:Sweden