PCV58 - long-term economic burden associated with cardiovascular events among high-risk patients with hyperlipidemia

Abstract

Objectives: This study evaluated the economic burden associated with new cardiovascular events (CVEs) for 3 years post-CVE among high-risk patients diagnosedwith hyperlipidemia. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conductedamong high-risk hyperlipidemic patients with and without a new CVE, using IMSLifeLink PharMetrics Plus data 01/01/2006-06/30/2012. CVEs included primary inpatient claims for myocardial infarction, unstable angina, ischemic stroke, transientischemic attack, revascularization and heart failure. Patients were assigned torisk cohorts based on history of CVE and coronary heart disease risk equivalent(CHD RE) condition. Propensity score matching was applied to compare healthcarecosts among patients with and without new CVEs, ranging from 1 month (acutephase) to 3 years post-CVE date. Results: A total of 21,482 matched patientswere included in the history of CVE cohort and 181,228 in the CHD RE cohort.Hyperlipidemic patients with new CVEs were, on average, aged 65-72 years, bothcohorts had 65.2% male and 74.7-84.4% had hypertension (most common baselinecomorbidity). Total costs per patient per month (PPPM) were significantly higheramong patients with versus without new CVEs during the acute phase (history ofCVE: $27,247 vs. $1,586; CHD RE: $30,742 vs. $914; p<0.0001) and remained higherduring years 1, 2 and 3, respectively, post-CVE among patients in the history of CVEcohort ($2,603 vs. $1,252; $2,055 vs. $1,191; $2,061 vs. $1,166, p<0.0001) and CHD REcohort ($1,926 vs. $844; $1,535 vs. $850; $1,475 vs. $853, p<0.0001). Significant costdifferences were observed between patients with and without new CVEs in bothcohorts, including inpatient, outpatient, emergency room and pharmacy visit costsPPPM, during 1-3 years post-CVE. Conclusions: Healthcare costs for high-riskpatients with new CVEs remained significantly higher than for matched patients without CVEs for up to 3 years post-CVE, imposing a significant economic burdenon U.S. commercial payers.