Simple Medical Intervention Best For Reducing CHD Mortality

Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Article Date: 30 Jul 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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With more than 6,000 cardiac deaths and a health expenditure exceeding 11 billion euros per annum, it is imperative that spending on health provides good value for money.

Modern cardiac interventions (medical and surgical) are considered relatively expensive especially in the context of a public-funded health care system. With the majority of cardiac patients now receiving multiple interventions, it is of interest to compare all currently available treatments against best practice over the next 10 years, to gain insight into the effectiveness against cost in the health care system. The interventions will become more cost effective as more pharmaceuticals become generic.

This study, demonstrates that simple cardiac medical treatments (including statins) offered the best value for money for cardiac patients when compared to cardiac bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This was across all age-groups, but generally most cost-effective in the youngest age group (45-54 years).

The study will be reported in Value in Health, the official journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and outcomes Research (ISPOR).

"Cost-effectiveness ratios in our study clearly favoured simple medical interventions for myocardial infarction, secondary prevention, angina and heart failure. For future health gain and reduction in coronary heart disease mortality, increased uptake of appropriate medications in addition to the lifestyle changes should be promoted," said Professor Simon Capewell MD, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, University of Liverpool, UK. Simon Capewell is a co-author on the paper and leading authority in the area.

Value in Health (ISSN 1098-3015) publishes papers, concepts, and ideas that advance the field of pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research and help health care leaders to make decisions that are solidly evidence-based. The journal is published bi-monthly and has a regular readership of over 3,000 clinicians, decision-makers, and researchers worldwide.

ISPOR is a nonprofit, international organization that strives to translate pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research into practice to ensure that society allocates scarce health care resources wisely, fairly, and efficiently.

Value in Health Volume 12 Issue 1 - January/February 2009
ABSTRACT

http://www.ispor.org