RESUMO
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia. It places an enormous burden on the patients, caregivers and the society at large. As a chronic illness, AF accrues significant costs related to clinical presentation, complications and loss of productivity. Novel invasive approaches to AF promise a cure in some patients and a significant reduction in AF burden in others, but are very expensive. This paper will address the cost of conventional and invasive strategies in AF care and will review the evidence on the comparative cost effectiveness of these approaches.
Assuntos
Antiarrítmicos/economia , Fibrilação Atrial/economia , Ablação por Cateter/economia , Fibrinolíticos/economia , Antiarrítmicos/uso terapêutico , Fibrilação Atrial/terapia , Análise Custo-Benefício , Embolia/prevenção & controle , Fibrinolíticos/uso terapêutico , Humanos , Anos de Vida Ajustados por Qualidade de Vida , Acidente Vascular Cerebral/prevenção & controleRESUMO
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia. It is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. At the societal level, AF carries an enormous cost. Strategies aimed at reducing AF morbidity and mortality and containing the associated fiscal burden are of paramount importance. This review will discuss AF treatment strategies and economics, focusing on the impact of dronedarone, a novel antiarrhythmic agent.
RESUMO
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common and frequently disabling chronic condition associated with significant patient morbidity and affecting an increasing stratum of our ageing society. Direct costs related to atrial fibrillation are comprised from direct cost of medical therapy, catheter ablation, and related hospitalizations and imaging procedures, with indirect costs related to complications of the primary therapeutic strategy, management of related conditions, as well as disability and loss in quality of life related to AF. Over the last decade, catheter ablation became a promising alternative to rate and rhythm control among symptomatic AF patients. The purpose of this paper is to describe the evidence on the financial implications related to ablation based on published data and authors' experience.