Long-term cardiovascular outcome, use of resources, and healthcare costs in patients with peripheral artery disease: results from a nationwide Swedish study

Aims Data on long-term healthcare costs of patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) is limited, and the aim of this study was to investigate healthcare costs for PAD patients at a nationwide level. Methods and results A cohort study including all incident patients diagnosed with PAD in the Swedish National Patient Register between 2006-2014, and linked to cause of death- and prescribed drug registers. Mean per-patient annual healthcare costs (2015 Euros [€]) (hospitalisations and out-patient visits) were divided into cardiovascular (CV), lower limb and non-CV related cost. Results were stratified by high and low CV risk. The study included 66,189 patients, with 221,953 observation-years. Mean total healthcare costs were €6,577, of which 26% was CV-related (€1,710), during the year prior to the PAD diagnosis. First year after PAD diagnosis, healthcare costs were €12,549, of which €3,824 (30%) was CV-related and €3,201 (26%) lower limb related. High-risk CV patients had a higher annual total healthcare and CV related costs compared to low risk CV patients during follow-up (€7,439 and €1,442 versus €4,063 and €838). Annual lower limb procedure costs were €728 in the PAD population, with lower limb revascularisations as key cost driver (€474). Conclusion Non-CV related hospitalizations and outpatient visits were the largest cost contributors for PAD patients. There is a substantial increase in healthcare costs in the first year after being diagnosed with PAD, driven by PAD follow-up and lower limb related procedures. Among the CV-related costs, hospitalisations and outpatient visits related to PAD represented the largest costs.