Economic effect of cholinesterase inhibitor therapy: implications for managed care

The growing elderly population is at great risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). In 1997, annual costs associated with AD were 100 billion dollars. Cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI) therapy is most commonly used to manage patients with AD, but the economic implications arising from their use are not well known. A review of studies assessing the cost effectiveness of ChEIs suggests that ChEI therapy provides benefit at every stage of disease, with better outcomes resulting from persistent, uninterrupted treatment. The cost savings range from 73 dollars over two years to 3891 dollars over one year, depending on the type of study, drug evaluated, and economic model employed in the evaluation.