The economic burden of pulmonary arterial hypertension in Spain

Year: 2022

Publisher: BMC Pulmonary Medicine

Abstract: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare, debilitating and potentially fatal disease. This study aims to quantify the economic burden of PAH in Spain.

The study was conducted from a societal perspective, including direct and indirect costs associated with incident and prevalent patients. Average annual costs per patient were estimated by multiplying the number of resources consumed by their unit cost, differentiating the functional class (FC) of the patient. Total annual costs per FC were also calculated, taking into account the 2020 prevalence and incidence ranges.

An expert committee validated the information on resource consumption and provided primary information on pharmacological consumption. Unit costs were estimated using official rates and salaries in Spain. A deterministic sensitivity analysis was performed to check the uncertainty of the model.

The mean annual total cost was estimated at €98,839 per prevalent patient (CF I-II: €65,233; CF III: €103,736; CF IV: €208,821). The total annual cost of PAH in Spain was estimated at between 67.9 and 106.1 million euros, depending on the prevalence considered.

PAH places a considerable economic burden on patients and their families, the healthcare system, and society as a whole. Efforts are needed to improve the health and management of these patients from the early stages of the disease.

Keywords: Economic impact, Burden, Social perspective, PAH, Pulmonary arterial hypertension

How to cite: Zozaya, N., Abdalla, F., Casado Moreno, I. et al. The economic burden of pulmonary arterial hypertension in Spain. BMC Pulm Med 22, 105 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890-022-01906-2