Impact of hypertension on healthcare costs among children

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Todd P Gilmer1, Patrick J O'Connor, Alan R Sinaiko

  • 1Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92092-0622.

The American Journal of Managed Care
|October 9, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Elevated blood pressure (BP) significantly increases healthcare costs in children and adolescents, more so than body mass index (BMI). Early identification and management of hypertension are crucial for cost reduction.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health Economics
  • Cardiovascular Health in Youth
  • Public Health and Healthcare Costs

Background:

  • Elevated blood pressure (BP) and body mass index (BMI) are prevalent in children.
  • The combined impact of BP and BMI on pediatric healthcare costs is understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To estimate healthcare costs associated with BP and BMI in children and adolescents.
  • To determine the independent and combined effects of BP and BMI on healthcare expenditures.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective dynamic cohort study of 71,617 children (aged 3-17) over 208,800 child-years.
  • Generalized linear models used to calculate standardized annual healthcare costs.
  • Analysis adjusted for BMI status when evaluating BP, and for BP when evaluating BMI.

Main Results:

  • Children with hypertension incurred significantly higher annual costs ($1972) compared to those with normal BP ($736) or prehypertension ($945).
  • Higher BMI percentiles (85th-95th and ≥95th) were associated with increased costs compared to lower percentiles (<85th).
  • Blood pressure status demonstrated a greater influence on healthcare costs than BMI status.

Conclusions:

  • Prehypertension and hypertension are independently associated with increased healthcare costs in children and adolescents.
  • While elevated BMI also impacts costs, BP status is the primary driver.
  • Studies not adjusting for BP may overestimate costs associated with elevated BMI.
Abstract

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