Nationwide survey of comorbidity, use, and costs of all medications in Finnish diabetic individuals

OBJECTIVE: To investigate comorbidity and overall use and costs of medication for all Finnish individuals with diabetes treated with drugs compared with sex- and age-matched control subjects. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: According to a cross-sectional population study using national registries, 116,224 individuals purchased antidiabetic medications in Finland in 1995. The same number of nondiabetic individuals matched for sex, age, and area of residence were chosen as control subjects. Age at onset of diabetes was used as a criterion for distinguishing between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The criterion could be applied in 74% of cases. A total of 16,955 individuals were defined as having type 1 diabetes, and 68,517 were defined as having type 2 diabetes. Comorbidity was determined by linkage with a national register including all individuals entitled to special reimbursement for drug treatment for a range of chronic diseases. Data on use and costs of all medications prescribed were obtained from drug purchase records. RESULTS: Cardiovascular diseases and uremia were, as expected, the chronic diseases most closely associated with diabetes. Use of almost all kinds of medication was significantly greater in individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes than in control subjects. The greatest differences were observed in relation to cardiovascular drugs and antibiotics. Unexpectedly low use of antiasthmatics was observed in individuals with both types of diabetes, low use of neuroleptics was observed in type 1 diabetic individuals, and low use of hormone replacement therapy was observed in women with type 2 diabetes. Total costs of medications for individuals with diabetes were 3.5 times greater than those for nondiabetic control subjects. The higher costs were mostly attributable to insulin therapy for individuals with type 1 diabetes. The higher costs for individuals with type 2 diabetes were related to the cost of medications other than antidiabetic medication. The possible selection bias in omitting diabetic individuals treated with diet only and individuals in whom diabetes type could not be determined must be considered in interpreting the results. CONCLUSIONS: Greater use by and costs of medications for individuals with diabetes than for nondiabetic individuals is related not only to antidiabetic treatment but also to all other kinds of medications. Although drug treatment and the prevalence of several chronic conditions were overall greater in individuals with diabetes versus other individuals, some exceptions merit further study     

新诊断2型糖尿病患者血糖波动与胰岛细胞功能的关系

目的：探讨新诊断2型糖尿病患者血糖波动与胰岛细胞功能的关系。方法分析51例新诊断2型糖尿病患者的临床资料,血糖波动采用OGTT 1 h与OGTT 0 h差值（GLU1）、OGTT 2 h与OGTT 0 h差值（GLU2）表示。胰岛细胞功能采用空腹血清胰岛素、空腹血清C肽、稳态模式评估法的胰岛素分泌指数（HOMA-β）及胰岛素抵抗指数（HOMA-IR）表示。分析患者血糖波动情况,即GLU1、GLU2与空腹血清胰岛素、空腹血清C肽、HOMA-β、HOMA-IR的相关性。结果该组患者的GLU1为（7.84±2.31）mmol/L,GLU2为（7.4±2.7）mmol/L,空腹血清胰岛素为（13.8±6.0）mU/L,空腹血清C肽为（0.85±0.26）nmol/L,HOMA-β的对数值为4.10±0.64,HOMA-IR的对数值为1.43±0.54。GLU1、GLU2与空腹血清胰岛素、空腹血清C肽、HOMA-IR的对数无相关性（P均＞0.05）,但与HOMA-β的对数值呈负相关（r值分别为-0.344、-0.498,P均＜0.05）。结论新诊断2型糖尿病患者血糖波动可能与胰岛素分泌缺陷密切相关。     

Incidence, outcomes, and cost of foot ulcers in patients with diabetes

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of foot ulcers in a large cohort of patients with diabetes, the risk of developing serious complications after diagnosis, and the attributable cost of care compared with that in patients without foot ulcers. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of patients with diabetes in a large staff-model health maintenance organization from 1993 to 1995. Patients with diabetes were identified by algorithm using administrative, laboratory, and pharmacy records. The data were used to calculate incidence of foot ulcers, risk of osteomyelitis, amputation, and death after diagnosis of foot ulcer, and attributable costs in foot ulcer patients compared with patients without foot ulcers. RESULTS: Among 8,905 patients identified with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, 514 developed a foot ulcer over 3 years of observation (cumulative incidence 5.8%). On or after the time of diagnosis, 77 (15%) patients developed osteomyelitis and 80 (15.6%) required amputation. Survival at 3 years was 72% for the foot ulcer patients versus 87% for a group of age- and sex-matched diabetic patients without foot ulcers (P < 0.001). The attributable cost for a 40- to 65-year-old male with a new foot ulcer was $27,987 for the 2 years after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of foot ulcers in this cohort of patients with diabetes was nearly 2.0% per year. For those who developed ulcers, morbidity, mortality, and excess care costs were substantial compared with those for patients without foot ulcers. The results appear to support the value of foot-ulcer prevention programs for patients with diabetes.     

Medication Possession and Glycemic Control Among Uninsured Type 2 Diabetics

Diabetes is a complex disease, and patients face barriers to reaching glycosylated hemoglobin (HgbA1c) goals. A retrospective cohort chart review evaluated if the cost of diabetes medications is a barrier to glycemic goals in uninsured patients receiving reduced-cost medications. Thirty-five patients were followed over 6 months to determine the association between HgbA1c and medication possession, monthly income, drug costs/month/patient, and poverty level. Higher HgbA1c was associated with higher drug cost/month (P = 0.005), but better medication possession was not associated with lower HgbA1c levels. Providers should tailor care to address factors (other than cost) known to influence HgbA1c.     

Use of health maintenance organization data bases to study pharmacy resource usage in diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE--To evaluate use of medications by patients with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--We analyzed the computerized pharmacy data base of a large health maintenance organization to evaluate cost impact and patterns of usage for all pharmacy products by a defined population of diabetic patients. RESULTS--Diabetic patients received 31.2 dispenses/yr compared with 11.5 for control patients. Total pharmacy costs were threefold higher for diabetic patients ($621 vs. 207/yr) and accounted for approximately 17% of their total health-care costs. Products specifically for the care of diabetes averaged $175/yr or approximately 4.5% of their total health-care costs: 57% received an oral hypoglycemic agent, 34% received insulin, and 6% received both. Cardiovascular drugs accounted for 29% of total costs. There was increased use of most classes of medication by patients with diabetes. CONCLUSIONS--Health maintenance organization management data bases, particularly those storing pharmacy dispensing data, provide useful information on the impact of chronic disease. People with diabetes receive a greater number of most types of medication with a greater overall cost than do nondiabetic people. Previous studies have underestimated the contribution of pharmacy purchases to the costs of caring for a diabetic population.     

Higher medical care costs accompany impaired fasting glucose

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to estimate medical costs associated with elevated fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and to determine whether costs differed for patients who met the 2003 (> or = 100 mg/dl) versus the 1997 (> or = 110 mg/dl) American Diabetes Association (ADA) cut point for impaired fasting glucose. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We identified 28,335 patients with two or more FPG test results of at least 100 mg/dl between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 2003. Those with evidence of diabetes before the second test were excluded. We categorized patients into two stages of abnormal glucose (100-109 mg/dl and 110-125 mg/dl) and matched each of these subjects to a patient with a normal FPG test (<100 mg/dl) on age, sex, and year of FPG test. All subjects were followed until an FPG test qualified them for a higher stage, dispensing of an anti-hyperglycemic drug, health plan termination, or 31 December 2003. RESULTS: Adjusted annual costs were dollar 4,357 among patients with normal FPG, dollar 4,580 among stage 1 patients, and dollar 4,960 among stage 2 patients (P < 0.001, all comparisons). After removing patients with normal FPG tests whose condition progressed to a higher stage or diabetes, costs in the normal FPG stage were dollar 3,799. Patients in both stages 1 and 2 had more cardiovascular comorbidities than patients with normal FPG. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that abnormal glucose metabolism is associated with higher medical care costs. Much of the excess cost was attributable to concurrent cardiovascular disease. The 2003 ADA cut point identifies a group of patients with greater costs and comorbidity than normoglycemic patients but with lower costs and less comorbidity than patients with FPG above the 1997 cut point.     

Economic evaluation of risperidone in an outpatient population

OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of risperidone use on the cost of services provided to severely mentally disabled outpatients and on hospital avoidance, and to analyze patterns in the use of concomitant medications as a surrogate marker of changes in adverse effects or patient well-being. METHODS: The patients were 31 clients of community mental health centers who had received risperidone for at least three months and for whom there were at least three months of available data on medication use and costs prior to risperidone treatment. The actual average monthly costs of community mental health services obtained from a county mental health board were compared with service costs prior to use of risperidone, using the patients as their own controls, and compared with a control group. RESULTS: Compared with the pre-risperidone period, the average cost per month of providing mental health services increased by 73.7% during the risperidone treatment period. Compared with the pre-risperidone period, the average total cost of treatment (including medications) increased by 113.3% during the risperidone treatment period. The average total cost of medication increased by 422.8% during the risperidone treatment period compared with the pre-risperidone treatment period. CONCLUSIONS: From the perspective of the community mental health board, risperidone treatment did not reduce the cost of services provided to these clients, but substantially and significantly increased total costs, including medication.     

Outpatient costs of medications for patients with chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: The outpatient costs of medications prescribed for chronic heart failure are high and are often borne by individual patients. Lack of financial resources may force noncompliance with use of medications. OBJECTIVE: To compare the outpatient costs of medications for patients with different New York Heart Association classifications of chronic heart failure. METHODS: The charts of 138 patients with chronic heart failure were reviewed retrospectively. Outpatient costs of medications were obtained from the Web sites of commercial pharmacies. Medications were classified by type according to the system of the American Heart Association. A mean cost for each classification of medication was used for analysis. RESULTS: The overall mean monthly cost of medications for chronic heart failure was $438. Patients with class II and class III chronic heart failure had the highest costs: $541 and $514, respectively. Analysis of variance indicated that the differences in monthly costs of medications between the patients with the 4 stages of chronic heart failure were significant (F = 4.86, P = .003). A post hoc Scheffé test revealed significant differences in costs between patients with class I and patients with class II heart failure (P = .02) and between patients with class I and those with class III heart failure (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: The outpatient costs of medications for chronic heart failure are significant. Ability to pay for prescribed medications must be determined. Healthcare professionals must maintain an awareness of the costs of medications and patients' ability to pay.     

Direct costs of preventive headache treatments: comparison of behavioral and pharmacologic approaches

(Headache 2011;51:985‐991) Objectives.— This study provides preliminary data and a framework to facilitate cost comparisons for pharmacologic vs behavioral approaches to headache prophylactic treatment. Background.— There are few empirical demonstrations of cumulative costs for pharmacologic and behavioral headache treatments, and there are no direct comparisons of short‐ and long‐range (5‐year) costs for pharmacologic vs behavioral headache treatments. Methods.— Two separate pilot surveys were distributed to a convenience sample of behavioral specialists and physicians identified from the membership of the American Headache Society. Costs of prototypical regimens for preventive pharmacologic treatment (PPT), clinic‐based behavioral treatment (CBBT), minimal contact behavioral treatment (MCBT), and group behavioral treatment were assessed. Each survey addressed total cost accumulated during treatment (ie, intake, professional fees) excluding costs of acute medications. The total costs of preventive headache therapy by type of treatment were then evaluated and compared over time. Results.— During the initial months of treatment, PPT with inexpensive mediations (<0.75 $/day) represents the least costly regimen and is comparable to MCBT in expense until 6 months. After 6 months, PPT is expected to become more costly, particularly when medication cost exceeds 0.75$ a day. When using an expensive medication (>3 $/day), preventive drug treatment becomes more expensive than CBBT after the first year. Long‐term, and within year 1, MCBT was found to be the least costly approach to migraine prevention. Conclusions.— Through year 1 of treatment, inexpensive prophylactic medications (such as generically available beta‐blocker or tricyclic antidepressant medications) and behavioral interventions utilizing limited delivery formats (MCBT) are the least costly of the empirically validated interventions. This analysis suggests that, relative to pharmacologic options, limited format behavioral interventions are cost‐competitive in the early phases of treatment and become more cost‐efficient as the years of treatment accrue.     

Medical care costs one year after identification of hyperglycemia below the threshold for diabetes

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the resource utilization and medical costs of patients with impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), or both, in a real-world clinical setting. METHODS: We used fasting and random glucose test results and a previously validated predictive equation to identify glycemic status in 26,111 nondiabetic patients, assigning them to categories of normoglycemia, isolated IFG (I-IFG), isolated IGT (I-IGT), or IFG with possible IGT (IFG/IGT). We then calculated and compared mean annual medical resource utilization and age/sex-adjusted costs over the ensuing 12-month period. RESULTS: I-IGT patients incurred significantly greater age- and sex-adjusted total costs in the observation year compared with normoglycemic and I-IFG patients (both comparisons, P < 0.001). IFG/IGT patients also had significantly greater age- and sex-adjusted total costs in the observation year compared with normoglycemic and I-IFG patients (P < 0.001, both comparisons). In both cases, the differences were driven by significantly greater inpatient costs-20.3% of patients with I-IGT and 17.1% with IFG/IGT were hospitalized during the observation year, whereas approximately 12% of normoglycemic and I-IFG patients had an admission (all comparisons, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal glucose tolerance, in particular, IGT, is associated with excess medical care costs relative to normoglycemia. Preventing progression to diabetes, when costs are known to be dramatically greater, would likely provide substantial economic benefit. More research is needed to determine the prevalence of hyperglycemia-related complications at elevated glucose levels below the diabetic threshold and the associated costs of those complications.     

Atrial Automatic Tachycardia-Reversion Pacemakers: Their Economic Viability and Impact on Quality-of-Life

Refractory supraventricular tachyarrhythmias may be both difficult and costly to control medically and can interfere with the patient's lifestyle. Newer treatment modalities are available for their management, and these require comprehensive assessment. We therefore compared costs and selective indices of patient benefit in a group of 17 patients in whom an atrial antitachycardia (Intermedics Intertach 262–12) pacemaker was placed for refractory supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. Prior medical therapy was compared to subsequent automatic antitachycardia pacemaker treatment. The total medical costs (admissions, emergency room visits, office visits, and medication costs) and the number of hospitalizations and medications were compared prior to implantation (F/U 69.3 ± 61 months) and after implantation (F/U 15.3 ± 7.8 months). A detailed quality-of-life questionnaire was also obtained 36.6 ± 11 months after implantation. Results: There were significant per patient differences in total cost before and after implantation: monthly costs were $505 ±$833 before pacemaker implantation and $105 ±$117 monthly afterward (P < 0.005). Pacemaker implantation hospitalization costs were $19,063 ±$8,362. Monthly medication costs averaged $46 before versus $15 after implantation (P < 0.01). The number of medication types also differed with an average 5.5 medication types per patient before versus 1.2 after implantation (P < 0.001). There were 8.6 yearly hospital admissions in the whole group before implantation, versus 4.7 admissions in the group per year thereafter. Patients demonstrated significant improvement in 80% of the quality-of-life parameters studied. Conclusion: Adjunctive atrial automatic tachycardia-reversion pacemaker therapy may be cost-competitive over time when compared to medical therapy alone in patients with refractory supraventricular tachyarrhythmias and appears to improve overall quality-of-life.     

Diabetes incidence in an Australian aboriginal population. An 8-year follow-up study

OBJECTIVE: To examine prospectively the association between age, BMI, and subsequent incidence of type 2 diabetes in Australian aboriginal people. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We performed a stratified analysis of incidence data from a community-based longitudinal study. Measures included fasting and 2-h postload glucose concentrations, and BMI, stratified into four categories. Subjects were 882 male and female participants in diabetes screening initiatives in two remote Australian aboriginal communities, free from diabetes at baseline, ages 15-77 years. RESULTS: There were 46 incident cases of diabetes over 2,808 person-years of follow-up. BMI modified strongly the sex- and community-adjusted association between age and diabetes incidence (P < 0.001). Adjusted for age, sex, and community, the population diabetes incidence rate was 20.3 cases/1,000 person-years, with BMI-specific rates of 10.7-47.2 cases/1,000 person-years, and relative risks (95% CI) for BMI strata beyond the reference category (< 25 kg/m2) of 3.3 (1.5-7.0), 2.7 (1.1-6.8), and 4.4 (1.7-11.6), respectively. The population's attributable risk (95% CI) associated with BMI beyond the reference category was 70.1% (58.1-82.4). CONCLUSIONS: BMI-specific diabetes incidence rates in Australian aboriginal people are among the highest in the world. Diabetes incidence in the lowest BMI category (10.7 cases/1,000 person-years) is two to five times greater than corresponding rates for non-aboriginal populations. An urgent need exists to prevent weight gain associated with diabetes. Further study is required to determine for aboriginal people an optimal range of BMI, likely lower than that suggested for non-aboriginal populations.     

Excess hospitalizations, hospital days, and inpatient costs among people with diabetes in Andalusia, Spain

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to estimate the excess hospitalizations, hospital days, and inpatient costs attributable to diabetes in Andalusia, Spain (37 hospitals, 7,236,459 inhabitants), during 1999 compared with those without diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This study was an analysis of all hospital discharges. Those with an ICD-9-CM code of 250 as either the main or secondary diagnosis were considered to have been admissions of individuals with diabetes. An estimate of costs was applied to each inpatient admission by assigning a cost weight based on the diagnostic-related group (DRG) related to each admission. RESULTS: A total of 538,580 admissions generated 4,310,654 hospital bed-days and total costs of 940,026,949 euro. People with diabetes accounted for 9.7% of all hospital discharges, 13.8% of total stays, and 14.1% of the total cost. Of the total cost for individuals with diabetes (132,509,217 euro), 58.3% were excess costs, of which 47% was attributable to cardiovascular complications and 43% to admissions for comorbid diseases. Individuals 45-75 years of age accounted for 75% of the excess costs. The rate of admissions during the study year was 145 per 1,000 inhabitants for individuals with diabetes compared with 70 admissions per 1,000 inhabitants for individuals without diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: The costs arising from hospitalization of individuals with diabetes are disproportionate in relation to their prevalence. For those aged >or=45 years, cardiovascular complications were clearly the most important factor determining increased costs from diabetes.     

Treating diabetes to accepted standards of care: a 10-year projection of the estimated economic and health impact in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the United States

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the health-economic impact of maintaining glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) values in all US patients with currently uncontrolled type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) standard of 7.0% and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) target of 6.5% compared with maintenance at current population-based values. METHODS: The CORE-Center for Outcomes Research Diabetes Model was used to predict costs and outcomes for patients with uncontrolled type 1 and type 2 diabetes who remain at established population mean HbA(1c) values in comparison with those for patients who maintain the standard value of 7.0% or the target value of 6.5%. The analysis was run from a societal perspective over a 10-year time horizon. The costs of treating complications and medication costs were retrieved from published sources. Costs and clinical outcomes were discounted at 3% per annum. Sensitivity analyses were performed on the discount rate and time horizon. RESULTS: This analysis found that maintaining HbA(1c) at the ADA standard value of 7.0% and the AACE target value of 6.5% in patients with uncontrolled type 1 and type 2 diabetes could achieve total direct medical cost savings of nearly 35 US dollars and 50 billion US dollars , respectively, over 10 years. When indirect cost savings were included, the total savings increased to between nearly 50 billion US dollars and 72 billion US dollars for these respective HbA(1c) targets, corresponding to 4% and 6% of the total annual US health care costs of 1.3 trillion US dollars. Reduced savings were observed with a higher discount rate and shorter time horizon, but savings increased as the time horizon became longer. These cost savings must be weighed against the cost of reaching the HbA(1c) goals and the likelihood of achieving the clinical objectives. CONCLUSIONS: Efficient targeting of financial resources toward the goal of lowering HbA(1c) in line with published guidelines could lead to financial savings in the range from nearly 35 billion US dollars to 72 billion US dollars over the next 10 years.     

Inconsistent use of diabetes medications, diabetes complications, and mortality in older mexican americans over a 7-year period: data from the Hispanic established population for the epidemiologic study of the elderly

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between inconsistency in use of diabetes drugs and risk of renal, eye, and circulation problems and death over a 7-year period in community-dwelling older Mexican Americans. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Data are from the four waves of the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly. In-home interviewers assessed consistency in use of diabetes medications among 908 diabetic Mexican Americans, aged >or=65 years. Diabetes and complications were by self-report. Subjects with poor consistency in use of medication were those who, at any time during the 7-year follow-up, discontinued or inconsistently used their diabetes medications and those who had no diabetic medications at home despite self-report of taking medicine for diabetes. RESULTS: Thirty-six percent of our sample were inconsistent with diabetes medication usage. Older age and lack of supplemental health insurance were significantly associated with inconsistency of use of medication. In a multivariate logistic regression model, subjects with poor consistency in use of medication were more likely to report kidney problems (odds ratio [OR] 1.59; 95% CI 1.13-2.23; P = 0.008) at follow-up compared with those with good consistency, after controlling for age, sex, medication type, duration of diabetes, education, income, marital status, language of interview, insurance status, cognitive function, presence of depressive symptoms, activities of daily living, and instrumental activities of daily living. In Cox regression models, poor consistency with diabetic medication was also associated with increased all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.43; 95% CI 1.13-1.82; P = 0.003) and diabetes-related deaths (1.66; 1.20-2.30; P = 0.002) over a 7-year period after adjusting for relevant confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Inconsistent use of diabetic medication was associated with an increased risk of kidney problems and deaths over a 7-year period in older Mexican Americans.