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Lost productivity, indirect costs substantial after ACS, stroke in Europe
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Substantial losses in productivity as well as indirect costs are incurred in patients returning to work after an ACS or stroke, according to findings published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
Kornelia Kotseva, PhD, and colleagues sought to estimate patient and caregiver productivity loss and indirect costs after ACS or stroke in adults in Europe.
“Patients in our study returned to work, meaning their events were relatively mild,” Kotseva, a professor at Imperial College London, said in the press release. “Some still had to change jobs or career, or work less, and caregivers lost around 5% of work time. Not included in our study are those with more severe events who quit work altogether and presumable need even more help from family and friends.”
Kotseva and colleagues analyzed data from a cross-sectional study conducted in seven European countries. Data from validated questionnaires during cardiologist and neurologist visits 3 to 12 months after the event were analyzed. Patients who returned to work 4 or more weeks before recruitment were included, the researchers wrote.
Patient absenteeism, presenteeism and caregiver loss in the previous 4 weeks were prorated to 1 year and combined with time off due to initial hospitalization and sick leave, Kotseva and colleagues wrote.
The researchers identified 394 patients (198 with stroke). Mean age of patients with an ACS or stroke was 53 years (86% men with ACS; 78% men with stroke). Patients with ACS had a higher history of previous CV event or established CVD compared with patients with stroke (28% vs. 25%), Kotseva and colleagues wrote.
Mean productivity time lost was slightly higher in patients with ACS (workdays = 70; 95% CI, 47-91) compared with patients with stroke (workdays = 68; 95% CI, 45-88), the researchers wrote.
Lost workdays were higher in patients with ACS (59; 95% CI, 37-79). Caregivers of patients with stroke had 11 workdays lost (95% CI, 0-16), with a total mean indirect cost per case of 13,953 euros (95% CI, 6,641-23,160), Kotseva and colleagues wrote. Patients with stroke had 56 workdays lost (95% CI, 42-70) and caregivers lost 12 days (95%, 3-20), and had a nearly similar indirect cost per case (13,773 euros; 95% CI, 10,469-20,215).
Patients with previous CV events and established CVD lost more days (80 vs. 73) and had a higher cost (16,061 euros vs. 14,942 euros) to ACS compared with stroke, the researchers wrote.
“Productivity loss associated with cardiovascular events is substantial and goes beyond the patient,” Kotseva said in the release. “Preventing acute coronary syndrome and stroke is the key to improving health and longevity and avoiding the myriad of costs that come with such an event.” – by Earl Holland Jr.
Disclosures: Kotseva reports she received consultant fees from Amgen (Europe) GmbH. Please see the study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
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