title: Resource use and costs of treatment with anticoagulation and antiplatelet agents: results of the WATCH trial economic evaluation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Warfarin and Antiplatelet Therapy in Chronic Heart Failure (WATCH) trial revealed no significant differences among 1587 symptomatic heart failure patients randomized to warfarin, clopidogrel, or aspirin in time to all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke. We compared within-trial medical resource use and costs between treatments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We assigned country-specific costs to medical resources incurred during follow-up. Annualized rates of hospitalizations, inpatient and outpatient procedures, and emergency department visits did not differ significantly between groups. Annualized total costs averaged $5901 (95% confidence interval [CI], $4776-$7520) for the aspirin group, $5646 (95% CI, $4903-$6584) for the clopidogrel group, and $5830 (95% CI, $4838-$7400) for the warfarin group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consistent with clinical findings, our analyses did not identify significant cost differences between treatments.
authors: Center for Clinical and Genetic Economics, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27715, USA.
authors: Mark E
authors: ME
authors: Patterson
authors: William C
authors: WC
authors: Grant
authors: Seth W
authors: SW
authors: Glickman
authors: Barry M
authors: BM
authors: Massie
authors: Susan E
authors: SE
authors: Ammon
authors: Paul W
authors: PW
authors: Armstrong
authors: John G F
authors: JG
authors: Cleland
authors: Joseph F
authors: JF
authors: Collins
authors: Koon K
authors: KK
authors: Teo
authors: Kevin A
authors: KA
authors: Schulman
authors: Shelby D
authors: SD
authors: Reed
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000639:trends; D006295:Health Resources / Q000191:economics* / Q000639:trends; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors