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The Antihypertensive Effects and Mechanisms of Huotan Jiedu Tongluo Decoction in Rats with H-Type Hypertension
Published on: May 17, 2024
Long-term social costs of hypertension
Patrizia Berto1, Stefania Lopatriello
1pbe Consulting, via Cappello, 12 - 37121, Verona, Italy. patrizia.berto@pbe.it
Insights
Managing hypertension is crucial, as uncontrolled high blood pressure significantly increases cardiovascular event costs. Integrated disease management strategies are essential for better patient outcomes and reducing long-term healthcare burdens.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Health Economics
- Public Health
Background:
- Hypertension management incurs significant costs, primarily from antihypertensive drug treatments.
- Uncontrolled hypertension leads to increased cardiovascular events, imposing substantial societal and healthcare system burdens.
- Current estimates for the long-term costs of uncontrolled hypertension are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the paucity of reliable cost-of-illness estimates for uncontrolled hypertension.
- To emphasize the need for better cost-benefit analyses considering long-term consequences.
- To advocate for integrated disease management strategies for hypertension.
Main Methods:
- Literature review on the costs associated with hypertension.
- Analysis of the economic impact of uncontrolled hypertension and cardiovascular events.
- Conceptual framework for disease management in hypertension.
Main Results:
- Only 13-27% of hypertensive patients achieve adequate blood pressure control.
- Focus on short-term treatment costs overshadows potential savings from preventing cardiovascular events.
- Lack of well-defined cost data for long-term consequences hinders payer focus.
Conclusions:
- Hypertension is an ideal candidate for comprehensive disease management programs.
- Prevention of long-term consequences should be prioritized in hypertension treatment.
- An integrated, multispecialist, and multisetting approach is recommended for effective hypertension management.
Abstract:
According to published studies, much of the cost of hypertension is due to antihypertensive drug treatment. However, the cost of hypertension also includes the cost of an increased frequency of cardiovascular events when hypertension is not controlled. Although conceptually accepted by the scientific community, the achievement of appropriate blood pressure levels is less feasible than expected and studies demonstrate that only 13-27% of hypertensive patients are adequately informed, treated and controlled for their hypertension. This puts a tremendous burden on the healthcare system and society, since uncontrolled hypertension leads to higher rates of cardiovascular events and ultimately death. This paper demonstrates the paucity of reliable cost-of-illness estimates for the long-term consequences of uncontrolled hypertension and suggests that it is understandable that public and private payers focus on the immediate short-term costs of treating hypertension, paying less attention to potential cost savings of fewer cardiovascular events, as these costs are far less well defined. This paper also suggests that hypertension as a disease is an ideal candidate for disease management strategies and programs, as prevention of its long-term consequences should be the focus of medical treatment and could be better achieved through an integrated multispecialist and multisetting approach.
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