Abstract
Background: Depression is commonly present in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Among those with established CVD, depression is more common in women and associated with worse outcome. However, how depression affects overall health care expenditures, as well as whether depression among women has a greater impact on medical costs, has not been well studied, which is the aim of the present study.
Methods: The 2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey was analyzed to explore this project. Variables of interest were defined as CVD (coronary artery disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease, dysrhythmias or heart failure) and depression diagnoses, ascertained by ICD-9-CM codes (410, 413, 433-437, 427-28, 440, 443, 447 and 296, 311, respectively). We restricted our study population to non-institutionalized adults ≥ 18 years of age. Two-part models were utilized to study cost data; a generalized linear model with gamma distribution and link log was used to assess the mean expenditure per capita for each sex/depression status.
Results: 27,288 surveyed persons constituted our study population (mean age 67 ± 12.4, 46% female), translating to an approximate of 231 million people across the U.S. Overall, CVD was noted in 15.6 million, of which 18% were patients with depression (2.9 million). Of this nationally representative sample, those with CVD were 86% more likely to be diagnosed with depression (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.51, 2.28, p<0.001) than Non-CVD. Additionally, among CVD individuals, females were 66% more likely be diagnosed with depression than males (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.23, 2.23, p=0.001). CVD diagnosis was independently associated with higher healthcare costs among individuals with depression. Moreover, on adjusted analysis, females with depression were also associated with $4,380.14 higher medical costs than those without depression (Table 1). When comparing female vs. males with CVD and depression diagnoses, adjusted mean expenditure per capita was $14,162 (95% CI 10,211 - 18,112) and $11,325 (95% CI 7,769 - 14,881), respectively.
Conclusion: CVD patients, especially women, were more likely to have depression, and had considerable higher medical expenditures. The results reinforce the paramount importance of assessing and managing depression among those with CVD to favorably impact healthcare costs.
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