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Polymyalgia Rheumatica Increases GCA's Financial Burden 76% in First 3 Years
The costs associated with the management of polymyalgia rheumatica are largely responsible for the high financial burden experienced by patients with giant cell arteritis, increasing the cost of the disease by 76% in the first 3 years compared with cases without polymyalgia rheumatica, or PMR, according to data reported in Arthritis Care & Research.
“GCA and PMR do not significantly increase long-term mortality risk compared with the general population, but are associated with major comorbidities linked to the disease itself and [corticosteroid] therapy,” Michael Mounié, a PhD student at the University of Toulouse in France, and colleagues wrote. “Thus, GCA and PMR place a substantial burden on health care use and expenditure. Although this cost of illness has been studied extensively for other systemic autoimmune diseases, little information is available on the economic burden of GCA and none on the additional cost represented by PMR in GCA patients.”
To analyze and compare the costs incurred by patients with GCA associated with PMR to those with GCA not associated with PMR, and to determine additional cost drivers linked to the disease, the researchers conducted a population-based, retrospective cohort study using the French National Health Insurance System Database. A total of 100 patients with GCA, including 54 with PMR, were included in the final analysis.
Mounié and colleagues identified patients with GCA both associated and not associated with PMR between January 2005 and December 2008. They followed up with each patient until April 2011. The researchers completed cost analyses from the French health insurance perspective, taking into account medical and nonmedical costs.
According to the researchers, the cumulative additional cost incurred by patients with GCA due to PMR totaled 8,801 euros in the first 3 years, and 10,532 euros during the first 5 years. Significant additional costs were recorded during the second and third years of follow-up, including 1,769 euros between months 12 and 18, 1,924 euros between months 18 and 24, 1,458 euros between months 24 and 30, and 1,307 euros between 30 and 36 months. In their multivariate analysis, the researchers found that PMR’s impact on financial cost was significant during their first 3 years (RR = 1.76; 95% CI, 1.032.99).
“Our study showed that the additional total costs of GCA associated with PMR compared to GCA without PMR was significantly higher for the first 3 years,” Mounié and colleagues wrote. “This was mainly because of greater inpatient stay, drug prescriptions and paramedical care.” – by Jason Laday
Disclosure: Mounié reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.