Rare Heart Disease Costs Triple as Patients Worsen, Swedish Study Finds
A Swedish study reveals that patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy face healthcare costs nine times higher in advanced stages, driven largely by hospital stays. The research also uncovers a critical diagnostic bottleneck: patients wait an average of 3.5 years from initial cardiac symptoms to correct diagnosis, suggesting opportunities for healthcare systems to improve detection.
Originaltitel: Health care resource use, diagnostic delay and disease burden in transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy in Sweden
<p>Aims: To estimate healthcare resource use and direct healthcare costs of Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) in Sweden over 12 months across severity stages as defined by the New York Heart Association (NYHA). Secondary to investigate the current diagnostic trajectory for patients with ATTR-CM in Sweden.</p><p>Methods: A stratified inclusion of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of ATTR-CM in different NYHA classes. Data was extracted from medical records in two cardiology clinics in Sweden. Healthcare resource use data were retrospectively collected for 12 months.</p><p>Results: 38 patients were included, of whom 7 were in NYHA class II, 20 in class III and 4 in class IV. The total cost of health care per patient increased from SEK 69,000 (euro6800) in NYHA stage II, SEK 219,000 (euro21,500) in NYHA stage III, to SEK 638,000 (euro62,900) in stage IV, mainly due to an increase in inpatient stays. Mean time (standard deviation, SD) from any cardiac related diagnosis prior to ATTR-CM diagnosis was 3.5 (3.1) years.</p><p>Conclusions: Advanced ATTR-CM stages are associated with significant healthcare costs, as patients more often require resource-intensive inpatient care. The current diagnostic trajectory of ATTR-CM in this study was characterized by a diagnostic delay of several years.</p>