title: Cost-effectiveness of heart failure therapies.
abstract: Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Management of HF involves accurate diagnosis and implementation of evidence-based treatment strategies. Costs related to the care of patients with HF have increased substantially over the past 2 decades, partly owing to new medications and diagnostic tests, increased rates of hospitalization, implantation of costly novel devices and, as the disease progresses, consideration for heart transplantation, mechanical circulatory support, and end-of-life care. Not surprisingly, HF places a huge burden on health-care systems, and widespread implementation of all potentially beneficial therapies for HF could prove unrealistic for many, if not all, nations. Cost-effectiveness analyses can help to quantify the relationship between clinical outcomes and the economic implications of available therapies. This Review is a critical overview of cost-effectiveness studies on key areas of HF management, involving pharmacological and nonpharmacological clinical therapies, including device-based and surgical therapeutic strategies.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Cardiovascular Science, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, National Institute for Health Technology Assessment (IATS), CNPq, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luis E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.forename: Eduardo G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Bertoldi
authors.forename: Livia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Goldraich
authors.forename: Carísi A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Polanczyk
mesh_terms: D058406:Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy / Q000191:economics; D058409:Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Devices / Q000191:economics; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable / Q000191:economics; D016527:Drug Costs; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000191:economics; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D018803:Models, Economic; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D018579:Patient Selection; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000191:economics; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome