title: Can we reduce the cost of illness with more compliant patients? An estimation of the effect of 100% compliance with hypertension treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The current study was designed to calculate the direct cost of noncompliance of hypertensive patients to the US health system. Understanding these expenses can inform screening and education budget policy regarding expenditure levels that can be calculated to be cost-beneficial.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in 3 parts. First, a computer search of National Institutes of Health Web sites and professional society Web sites for organizations with members that treat hypertension, and a PubMed search were performed to obtain the numbers required for calculations. Second, formulas were developed to estimate the risk of noncompliance and undiagnosed hypertension. Third, risk calculations were performed using the information obtained in part 1 and the formulas developed in part 2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Direct risk reduction for stroke caused by hypertension, heart attack, kidney disease, and heart disease was calculated for a 100% compliant strategy. Risk, case, and cost reduction for a 100% compliant strategy for hypertension were 32%, 8.5 million and US$ 72 billion, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our analysis means that the society can spend up to the cost of noncompliance in screening, education, and prevention efforts in an attempt to reduce these costly and traumatic sequelae of poorly controlled hypertension in the light of published analysis.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology & Clinical Pharmacology, İstanbul University, İstanbul, Turkey. guvenckockaya@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Güvenç
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koçkaya
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wertheimer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000572:American Heart Association; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D020407:Internet; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.); D010349:Patient Compliance; D012955:Societies, Medical; D020521:Stroke / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology