The cardiac presentation of transthyretin amyloidosis, otherwise known as transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), can be life-threatening. Without proper support and treatment, ATTR-CM can cause heart failure (HF). Given the severe nature of the disease, patients with ATTR HF may experience higher costs of care than those with non-ATTR HF.
This study, published in ESC Heart Failure, sought to evaluate the differences in cost between ATTR-CM and non-ATTR HF. Data were gathered from healthcare registers in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Individuals included in the study were diagnosed with ATTR-CM or heart failure without ATTR-CM between 2008 and 2018. Researchers identified the use of resources and costs through the number of visits to specialty outpatient centers and inpatient hospital stays.
Ultimately, in different instances, the average number of healthcare visits associated with ATTR-CM was found to be higher than those associated with non-ATTR HF. For example, during the three years leading up to diagnosis, patients with ATTR-CM had twice as many outpatient visits as did patients with non-ATTR HF. In the first year following diagnosis, patients with ATTR-CM were admitted to the hospital more frequently than patients with non-ATTR HF.
In conclusion, the costs associated with ATTR-CM are a high burden on the healthcare system. Patients with ATTR-CM may need to be evaluated more carefully to allocate resources more effectively and decrease costs. Clinicians should be aware of the differences in the potential costs for patients with ATTR-CM and non-ATTR HF, and they should advocate for earlier diagnoses and treatments [1].
Source:
[1] Lauppe, R., Liseth Hansen, J., Fornwall, A., Johansson, K., Rozenbaum, M. H., Strand, A. M., Vakevainen, M., Kuusisto, J., Gude, E., Smith, J. G., & Gustafsson, F. (2022). Healthcare resource use of patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy. ESC Heart Failure, 9(3), 1636–1642. https://doi.org/10.1002/ehf2.13913
