10-Year Resource Utilization and Costs for Cardiovascular Care

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Health
• Health Economics
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) presents a substantial economic challenge to the U.S. healthcare system.
• Limited data exists on the long-term financial implications following comprehensive CVD screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To calculate the 10-year healthcare costs associated with cardiovascular disease in asymptomatic individuals.
• To analyze the economic burden of CVD treatment and testing patterns after initial screening.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 6,814 asymptomatic participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) registry.
• Calculated cumulative 10-year costs for medications, office visits, procedures, revascularization, and hospitalizations.
• Adjusted costs for inflation and applied a 3% discount rate, presenting figures in 2014 U.S. dollars.

Main Results:

• The average 10-year healthcare cost was $23,142 per participant, with CVD medications accounting for 78% of expenses.
• Risk factor prevalence increased over 10 years, with diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia affecting 19%, 57%, and 53% of participants, respectively.
• Costs ranged from under $7,700 for low-risk individuals to over $35,800 for high-risk subgroups, highlighting significant cost variations.

Conclusions:

• Longitudinal analysis reveals previously unreported healthcare resource utilization and economic burdens post-screening.
• Promoting healthy lifestyles in asymptomatic populations holds significant potential for reducing the overall economic impact of cardiovascular disease.