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Health and economic evaluation of herbal medicines for heart failure: A population-based cohort study
Jianbo Guo1, Xinyu Lu2, Pei Zhang3
1Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; School of Chinese Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Insights
Integrating herbal medicine (HM) into heart failure (HF) treatment significantly lowers hospital readmission rates. This approach offers positive health economic benefits without substantially increasing direct medical costs for HF patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Integrative Medicine
- Health Economics
Background:
- Heart failure (HF) is a severe cardiovascular condition with high hospital admission rates, imposing a significant health economic burden.
- Understanding cost-effective treatments for HF is crucial for managing this global health concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the health and economic advantages of incorporating herbal medicine (HM) as an adjunctive therapy for patients diagnosed with heart failure (HF).
Main Methods:
- A retrospective, population-based cohort study involving 1924 heart failure patients over five years.
- Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to create comparable groups.
- Logistic and multiple linear regression analyses assessed readmission rates and direct medical costs, respectively.
Main Results:
- Adjunctive herbal medicine (HM) treatment was associated with significantly lower heart failure (HF) readmission rates (adjusted OR = 0.76).
- Age over 65 and smoking were identified as key risk factors for HF readmission.
- Herbal medicine (HM) use did not significantly increase direct medical expenses, demonstrating positive health economic outcomes (ICER = 98.52).
Conclusions:
- Integrating herbal medicine (HM) into standard heart failure (HF) care effectively reduces readmission rates.
- Herbal medicine (HM) presents a cost-effective treatment option for heart failure (HF), offering favorable health economic benefits.
Background:
Heart failure (HF) represents an advanced stage of various cardiovascular disorders, with its elevated admission rates and resultant health economic burden posing an ongoing global concern.
Purpose:
To evaluate the health and economic benefits of herbal medicine (HM) for patients with HF.
Study Design:
Population-based cohort study.
Methods:
A five-year retrospective cohort study was carried out at a nationally recognized hospital in China. The study utilized propensity score matching (PSM) to match patients with HF. Chi-square tests were used to analyze dichotomous variables, and t-tests were employed for continuous variables. Logistic regression was used to examine hospital readmission rates, while multiple linear regression was utilized to evaluate direct medical costs. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results:
After implementing PSM, 1924 HF patients were included in the analysis. The study identified two significant risk factors affecting the readmission rates: age over 65 years (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.25, 95 % confidence interval (CI) [1.02, 1.53]) and smoking (adjusted OR = 1.31, 95 % CI [1.01, 1.70]). Additionally, patients who received adjunctive HM treatment exhibited a significantly lower readmission rate compared to those without HM treatment (adjusted OR = 0.76, 95 % CI [0.64, 0.92]). Furthermore, the use of HM during patient hospitalization did not significantly impact direct medical expenses but instead provided positive health economic benefits (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) = 98.52). Factors influencing direct routine medical costs included over 65 years of age (Coef = 60.78, 95 % CI [36.25, 85.31]), and cardiac function classification (New York Heart Association (NYHA) III: Coef = 1979.92, 95 % CI [1401.82, 2558.03]; NYHA IV: Coef = 6052.48, 95 % CI [5166.59, 6938.38]).
Conclusions:
The integration of HM in patients with HF reduced readmission rates without a notable increase in direct medical costs, and the expense of HM remains an economically range indicating positive health economic outcomes.
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