The cost of angina pectoris in Sweden

A survey of 402 Swedish patients with angina pectoris was performed to estimate the annual direct medical costs, and nonmedical costs, of a typical Swedish angina pectoris patient, and to identify those variables having the greatest impact on the direct medical costs. Data regarding the consumption of healthcare services over a 3-month period were collected through telephone interviews conducted by trained nurses at a medical marketing agency. The data were multiplied by 4 to obtain an estimate of the annual resource consumption. The annual direct medical cost of angina pectoris was estimated at 40,052 Swedish krona (SEK; $US1 approximately SEK7.20, March 1995) per patient, comparable with the cost of a myocardial infarction. As expected, however, the severity of angina pectoris was important in determining the direct medical cost. The significant variables explaining variations in direct costs were (in order of importance): (i) whether the patient had undergone cardiovascular surgery; (ii) whether the patient was treated by a general practitioner or an internist; (iii) the number of years since first diagnosis of angina pectoris; and (iv) whether the patient's angina pectoris was characterised as stable or unstable. The annual nonmedical cost of angina pectoris per patient was estimated at SEK38,225. The relatively high costs of angina pectoris underline the importance of health economic evaluations of various diseases and medical interventions.