Costs associated with cardiovascular events in patients with hypertension in US managed care settings

Study quantified incremental cost of cardiovascular (CV) events in 6 high-risk and compelling indication subgroups: post-myocardial infarction (MI), diabetes, diabetic nephropathy, elderly, chronic kidney disease, and prior stroke. Based on claims data from privately insured individuals with 2+ hypertension (HTN) diagnoses in 2004–2006, we estimated regression-adjusted per-member-per-month healthcare costs after CVE. Costs were compared between patients with and without a CV events, and before and after CV events in each subgroup. The following CVevents were studied: acute MI, acute coronary syndrome, angina, ventricular arrhythmia, atrial arrhythmia, heart failure, coronary artery disease, left ventricular hypertrophy, stroke, and sinus tachycardia. Of 1,598,890 HTN patients, 510,118 had ≥1 CV event. Compared with controls, healthcare costs among patients with events were significantly greater across all cost components (inpatient, outpatient, and prescription drug). Acute MI and congestive heart failure generally had the largest incremental total healthcare costs. First-quarter post-event costs were attributable to inpatient costs. CV events are costly sequelae of hypertension in high-risk and CI subgroups.