Cost-effectiveness of different strategies with biologics for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn’s disease in China

To determine the cost-effectiveness of rotator cuff hydroxyapatite deposition disease (HADD) treatments. A 1-year time horizon decision analytic model was created from the US healthcare system perspective for a 52-year-old female with shoulder HADD failing conservative management. The model evaluated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and net monetary benefit (NMB) of standard strategies, including conservative management, ultrasound-guided barbotage (UGB), high- and low-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ECSW), and surgery. The primary effectiveness outcome was quality-adjusted life years (QALY). Costs were estimated in 2022 US dollars. The willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold was $100,000. For the base case, UGB was the preferred strategy (0.9725 QALY, total cost, $2199.35, NMB, $95,048.45, and ICER, $33,992.99), with conservative management (0.9670 QALY, NMB $94,688.83) a reasonable alternative. High-energy ECSW (0.9837 QALY, NMB $94,805.72), though most effective, had an ICER of $121, 558.90, surpassing the WTP threshold. Surgery (0.9532 QALY, NMB $92,092.46) and low-energy ECSW (0.9287 QALY, NMB $87,881.20) were each dominated. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that high-energy ECSW would become the favored strategy when its cost was < $2905.66, and conservative management was favored when the cost was < $990.34. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis supported the base case results, with UGB preferred in 43% of simulations, high-energy ECSW in 36%, conservative management in 20%, and low-energy ECSW and surgery in < 1%. UGB appears to be the most cost-effective strategy for patients with HADD, while surgery and low-energy ECSW are the least cost-effective. Conservative management may be considered a reasonable alternative treatment strategy in the appropriate clinical setting.

Introduction: Crohn’s disease (CD) patients that lose response to biologics experience reduced quality of life (QoL) and costly hospitalizations. Precision-guided dosing provides clinicians with a comprehensive pharmacokinetic (PK) profile that allows for the next biologic dose to be personalized. We analyzed the cost-effectiveness of infliximab (IFX) Precision-guided dosing relative to two IFX dose intensification strategies (DIS). Methods: We developed a hybrid (Markov and decision tree) model of CD patients who had a clinical response to IFX induction and entered IFX maintenance in “remission” or “mild symptoms” health states. The analysis took a US payer perspective, a time horizon of 2 years in the base case, and a cycle length of 4 weeks. There were 3 comparators for IFX dosing: Precision-guided dosing, dose intensification based on symptoms, inflammatory markers, and trough IFX concentration (DIS1), and IFX dose intensification based on symptoms alone (DIS2). Patients that failed IFX initiated ustekinumab (UST), followed by vedolizumab, and conventional therapy. Transition probabilities for IFX were estimated from real-world clinical PK data and interventional clinical trial (PMID: 34978325; 29317275) patient-level data. All other transition probabilities were derived from published randomized clinical trials and cost-effectiveness analyses. Utility values were sourced from previous health technology assessments. Direct costs included biologic acquisition and infusion, surgeries and procedures, conventional therapy, and lab testing. The primary outcomes were total discounted costs, total quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). The robustness of results was assessed via one-way sensitivity and scenario analyses. Results: Total costs and QALYs at 2 years are presented in Table. The ICERs of Precision-guided dosing relative to DIS1 and DIS2 were 171,810 and 127,990, respectively. One-way sensitivity analyses (Figure) demonstrated that the cost-effectiveness of Precision-guided dosing was most sensitive to the time between IFX doses. Precision-guided dosing had the lowest proportion of patients requiring a new biologic through 2 years (0.5% vs 2.4% and 27.7% for DIS1 and DIS2, respectively). Conclusion: Precision-guided dosing provides substantial clinical and QoL benefits for adult CD patients by maintaining clinical remission and avoiding IFX failure; it is cost-effective relative to other DISs at a WTP of $175,000/QALY.Figure 1.: Precision-guided Dosing ICER Relative to DIS2 † Varied by ±10% * Varied by ±5% CD: Crohn's disease, DIS: dose intensification strategy, ICER: incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, IFX: infliximab, M-S: moderate-severe, PMPM: per member per month, Rem: remission Table 1. - Base Case Results (2-year Horizon Discounted) DIS Total QALYs Total Costs ICER Relative to Precision-guided Dosing ICER Relative to DIS1 ICER Relative to DIS2 Incremental NMB vs DIS1 (WTP $150,000/QALY) Incremental NMB vs DIS1 (WTP $50,000/QALY) Incremental NMB vs DIS2 (WTP $150,000/QALY) Incremental NMB vs DIS2 (WTP $50,000/QALY) Precision-guided Dosing* 1.572 $50,753 - 171,810 127,990 -$765 -$4,274 $1,816 -$6,436 DIS1† 1.537 $44,725 171,810 - 95,581 - - $2,581 -$2,162 DIS2 ‡ 1.489 $40,191 127,990 95,581 - -$2,581 $2,162 - - DIS: dose intensification strategy, ICER: incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, NMB: net monetary benefit, QALY: quality-adjusted life year, WTP: willingness to pay.*Model informed precision dosing with homogenous mobility shift assay (Prometheus Laboratories).†Dose intensification based on a combination of symptoms, inflammatory markers and proactive therapeutic drug monitoring. Corresponds to cohorts 1 and 2 of the TAILORIX clinical trial.‡Dose intensification reactive on symptoms only. Corresponds to cohort 3 of the TAILORIX clinical trial.

Background: Hypertension has become the second-leading risk factor for death worldwide. However, the fragmented three-level “county–township–village” medical and healthcare system in rural China cannot provide continuous, coordinated, and comprehensive health care for patients with hypertension, as a result of which rural China has a low rate of hypertension control. This study aimed to explore the costs and benefits of an integrated care model using three intervention modes—multidisciplinary teams (MDT), multi-institutional pathway (MIP), and system global budget and performance-based payments (SGB-P4P)—for hypertension management in rural China.Methods: A Markov model with 1-year per cycle was adopted to simulate the lifetime medical costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) for patients. The interventions included Option 1 (MDT + MIP), Option 2 (MDT + MIP + SGB–P4P), and the Usual practice (usual care). We used the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), net monetary benefit (NMB), and net health benefit (NHB) to make economic decisions and a 5% discount rate. One-way and probability sensitivity analyses were performed to test model robustness. Data on the blood pressure control rate, transition probability, utility, annual treatment costs, and project costs were from the community intervention trial (CMB-OC) project.Results: Compared with the Usual practice, Option 1 yielded an additional 0.068 QALYs and an additional cost of $229.99, resulting in an ICER of $3,373.75/QALY, the NMB was –$120.97, and the NHB was −0.076 QALYs. Compared with the Usual practice, Option 2 yielded an additional 0.545 QALYs, and the cost decreased by $2,007.31, yielding an ICER of –$3,680.72/QALY. The NMB was $2,879.42, and the NHB was 1.801 QALYs. Compared with Option 1, Option 2 yielded an additional 0.477 QALYs, and the cost decreased by $2,237.30, so the ICER was –$4,688.50/QALY, the NMB was $3,000.40, and the NHB was 1.876 QALYs. The one-way sensitivity analysis showed that the most sensitive factors in the model were treatment cost of ESRD, human cost, and discount rate. The probability sensitivity analysis showed that when willingness to pay was $1,599.16/QALY, the cost-effectiveness probability of Option 1, Option 2, and the Usual practice was 0.008, 0.813, and 0.179, respectively.Conclusions: The integrated care model with performance-based prepaid payments was the most beneficial intervention, whereas the general integrated care model (MDT + MIP) was not cost-effective. The integrated care model (MDT + MIP + SGB-P4P) was suggested for use in the community management of hypertension in rural China as a continuous, patient-centered care system to improve the efficiency of hypertension management.

BackgroundTraditionally, uncomplicated acute appendicitis (AA) has been treated with appendectomy. However, the surgical alternatives might carry out significant complications, impaired quality of life, and higher costs than nonoperative treatment. Consequently, it is necessary to evaluate the different therapeutic alternatives' cost-effectiveness in patients diagnosed with uncomplicated appendicitis.MethodsWe performed a model-based cost-effectiveness analysis comparing nonoperative management (NOM) with open appendectomy (OA) and laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) in patients otherwise healthy adults aged 18–60 years with a diagnosis of uncomplicated AA from the payer´s perspective at the secondary and tertiary health care level. The time horizon was 5 years. A discount rate of 5% was applied to both costs and outcomes. The health outcomes were quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Costs were identified, quantified, and valorized from a payer perspective; therefore, only direct health costs were included. An incremental analysis was estimated to determine the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). In addition, the net monetary benefit (NMB) was calculated for each alternative using a willingness to pay lower than one gross domestic product. A deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed.MethodsWe performed a model-based cost-effectiveness analysis comparing nonoperative management (NOM) with open appendectomy (OA) and laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) in patients otherwise healthy adults aged 18–60 years with a diagnosis of uncomplicated AA from the payer’s perspective at the secondary and tertiary health care level. The time horizon was five years. A discount rate of 5% was applied to both costs and outcomes. The health outcomes were quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Costs were identified, quantified, and valorized from a payer perspective; therefore, only direct health costs were included. An incremental analysis was estimated to determine the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). In addition, the net monetary benefit (NMB) was calculated for each alternative using a willingness to pay lower than one gross domestic product. A deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed.ResultsLA presents a lower cost ($363 ± 35) than OA ($384 ± 41) and NOM ($392 ± 44). NOM exhibited higher QALYs (3.3332 ± 0.0276) in contrast with LA (3.3310 ± 0.057) and OA (3.3261 ± 0.0707). LA dominated the OA. The ICER between LA and NOM was $24,000/QALY. LA has a 52% probability of generating the highest NMB versus its counterparts, followed by NOM (30%) and OA (18%). There is a probability of 0.69 that laparoscopy generates more significant benefit than medical management. The mean value of that incremental NMB would be $93.7 per patient.ConclusionsLA is a cost-effectiveness alternative in the management of patients with uncomplicated AA. Besides, LA has a high probability of producing more significant monetary benefits than NOM and OA from the payer’s perspective in the Colombian health system.

Background: Whether Endovascular Thrombectomy (EVT) is cost-effective in large ischemic core infarcts is unknown. Methods: In the prospective multicenter cohort study of imaging selection study (SELECT), large core was defined as CT ASPECTS &lt; 6 or CTP ischemic core volume (rCBF&lt;30%) ≥ 50 cc. A Markov model estimated costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and the Incremental Cost-effectiveness Ratio (ICER) of EVT compared to Medical Management (MM) over 20 years life expectancy. The lower and upper willingness to pay (WTP) per QALY were set at $50000 and $100000 and the Net Monetary Benefit (NMB) for EVT were calculated. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves (CEAC) assessed EVT cost-effective probability at WTP range values. Results: Of 361 enrolled, 105 had large core on CT or CTP (EVT 62, MM 43). 19 (31%) EVT patients achieved mRS 0-2 vs 6 (14%) MM (aOR: 3.27, 95% CI: 1.11-9.62; P = .03) with a shift towards better mRS (adj cOR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.05-4.31, P = .04). Over 20 years EVT was associated with $26589 (C.I. $8672- $43978) incremental costs and a gain of 1.18 QALYs (C.I. 0.091- 2.2) per patient. EVT could avert 75 deaths over a theoretical cohort of 1000 patients (MM 861 vs EVT 786) thus the ICER of EVT compared to MM was $22400 per QALY (CI. $10109 - $66140), which is &lt;$50000/QALY, Tab 1. EVT has a higher NMB compared to MM at the lower and upper WTP thresholds (EVT $86,3 and 271,4 million vs MM $53,6-$179,3 million), Tab 2. The PSA confirmed the results (fig 1). The CEAC showed 94% and 97% cost-effectiveness probability of EVT at the lower and upper values respectively of the maximum WTP, fig 2. EVT ICER in SELECT large core ($22400/QALY) was higher but still comparable to those in HERMES ($16882/QALY), DAWN ($7335/QALY) and DEFUSE3 ($14673/QALY), Tab 3. Conclusion: EVT may result in better outcomes and more lives saved in large core patients with higher QALYs, NMB and an acceptable ICER. The results were comparable to other EVT RCTs.

Background. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies are approved as second-line (2L) or later therapy for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Recently, bispecific T-cell antibodies (BsAbs) have been approved as third-line (3L) treatments. The cost-effectiveness of different treatment sequences is unknown. This study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) compared with other treatment options for 2L DLBCL, from a US health care perspective at a cost-effectiveness threshold of $150,000 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). Design. This economic evaluation used a discrete event simulation decision. Model inputs were derived from 8 clinical trials and the published literature. Simulated patients received 2L axi-cel followed by 3L treatments, which were compared with treatment sequences of 2L intended autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT), polatuzumab vedotin with bendamustine and rituximab (Pola-BR), tafasitamab with lenalidomide (tafa-len), or rituximab with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (R-GemOx), all of which were followed by 3L treatments (salvage chemotherapy, BsAbs, or axi-cel). In addition, axi-cel was compared directly with glofitamab and epcoritamab in 3L. Costs and QALYs, discounted at 3.0%, were used to derive incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) and net monetary benefits (NMBs). Results. In the 2L base case, axi-cel was cost-effective compared with intended ASCT (ICER $145,004/QALY), which was cost-effective compared with R-GemOx (ICER $9,495/QALY). Axi-cel maximized NMB at $150,000 and $200,000/QALY thresholds, whereas intended ASCT maximized NMB at $100,000/QALY. In 3L-focused comparisons with epcoritamab and glofitamab, axi-cel was dominant and cost-effective (ICER $122,224/QALY), respectively. Axi-cel maximized NMB at $150,000 and $200,000/QALY thresholds, whereas glofitamab maximized NMB at $100,000/QALY. Conclusions. The findings of the study suggest that although other treatments were cost-effective at lower thresholds, axi-cel is a cost-effective treatment option in 2L/3L settings in the United States.HighlightsThis study investigated whether axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is cost-effective in second-line (2L) and third-line (3L) treatment sequences in the current relapsed or refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) treatment paradigm.Using a novel treatment sequencing model, axi-cel was found to be cost-effective in both 2L treatment sequences and in direct comparisons with 3L bispecific T-cell antibodies.These findings suggest that axi-cel is a cost-effective treatment for R/R DLBCL regardless of treatment line positioning.

From the perspective of Chinese healthcare system, this study compared the cost-utility of aripiprazole once-monthly (AOM) and paliperidone palmitate once-monthly injectable (PP1M) in the treatment of adult patients with schizophrenia in China. A 5-state Markov model was developed to evaluate the cost-utility of 10 years of long-acting injections (LAI) treatment for schizophrenia. The long-term costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were estimated, with the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) as the primary outcome. The annual discount rate was set at 5%. A cost-effectiveness threshold (CET) of 0.51 times China's 2023 gross domestic product (GDP) (US$ 6,394.536) was used to judge the economics of intervention. The current price of AOM in China is relatively high (US$418.140). To assess its cost-effectiveness in the context of potential price negotiations with China Healthcare Security Administration (CHS) for inclusion in the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL), we simulated a 40% price reduction (US$257.619). At a CET of 0.51 times GDP per capita (US$6,394.536), the base-case analysis showed that the incremental costs of AOM relative to PP1M after 10 years of treatment were US$1,926.373 with an incremental gain of 0.306 QALYs. The ICER for AOM was US$6,285.303 per QALY, which is below the CET, indicating that AOM is cost-effective. One-way sensitivity analysis identified AOM's drug cost as the parameter with the greatest impact on results. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis revealed that with a 40% price reduction, the probability of AOM being cost-effective is only 41.70%. However, with a 60% price reduction, AOM became dominantly cost-effective, with the probability increasing to 100%. When the CET was relaxed to 0.90 times GDP per capita (US$11,284.476), the probability of cost-effectiveness for AOM after a 40% price reduction rose to 85.10%. Scenario analyses conducted over a time horizon extending from 10 to 30 years showed that the ICER decreased significantly with longer follow-up, gradually approaching the 0.51GDP threshold and remaining below the 0.90 GDP threshold throughout the analysis. The cost-effectiveness of AOM relative to PP1M is highly influenced by its price and the CET. Healthcare decision makers or clinical users need to balance innovation incentives and accessibility.

Cost-effectiveness of pharmacist-participated warfarin therapy management in Thailand

IntroductionChronic non-infectious uveitis affecting the posterior segment (NIU-PS), which can be recurrent and persistent for numerous years, mainly affects people of working age and significantly increases the risk of visual impairment. This study aimed to investigate the cost-effectiveness of fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal (FAI) implant in the treatment of patients with chronic NIU-PS from the Chinese healthcare perspective.MethodsA Markov model with a 2-week cycle was constructed from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system over a lifetime time horizon. The model consists of four health states: on-treatment, treatment failure, blindness, and death. The outcomes for effectiveness were based on the Chinese real-world study (RWS). Utilities and mortality rates were derived from published literature and standard sources. Costs were determined from the MENET website, prices of medical service items at local providers, published literature, and expert surveys. Outcomes were measured in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Sensitivity analyses were performed to account for the impact of uncertainty.ResultsIt was estimated that in the base case, the FAI implant provided 0.43 incremental QALYs compared with the limited current practice (LCP) at an additional cost of $7503.72 (¥50,575.05), resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $17,373.49 (¥117,097.33) per QALY gained. Parameters related to utility emerged as the primary influencers on the outcomes. In probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA), considering the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $19,072 (¥128,547) and $38,145 (¥257,094), the FAI implant had 67.70% and 99.50% probability of being cost-effective, respectively. As demonstrated in the scenario analysis, if the FAI implant aligns its price reduction with the average rate from the 2023 negotiation of the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL), it would result in lower costs and represent an absolute advantage.ConclusionsThe FAI implant, which can effectively reduce the recurrence rate and maintain the incremental costs within the WTP limit, is likely to be cost-effective in treating chronic NIU-PS in China.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40123-024-00939-6.

Introduction: China has ~6 million patients with active epilepsy every year, around 60% of whom suffer from partial-onset seizures. Perampanel (PER) is a novel anti-epileptic drug for partial-onset seizures. PER has been included in the latest Chinese National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) in 2020. However, there is still a lack of evaluation evidence on the value of PER in China.Methods: This study selected a health system perspective. A Markov model was established to simulate the lifelong transition of different response levels and calculate the number of seizures in Chinese patients. Based on the utility value and mortality risk, the life years and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) of patients using PER vs. lacosamide (LCM) were estimated. Efficacy data were derived from clinical trials and the literature. Cost data (in US dollars) included drug costs and medical service costs. A lifetime horizon was adopted. Health outcomes and costs were discounted at an annual discount rate of 5%. Deterministic sensitivity analysis, probability sensitivity analysis, and scenario analysis were performed. The impact of the inclusion of PER in the NRDL on the medical insurance budget over 3 years (2021–2023) was also estimated.Results: Cost-effectiveness analysis indicates that 8 mg/day of PER increases QALYs by 0.054 and saves costs by $2,390 compared with 400 mg/day of LCM. 4 mg/day of PER increases QALYs by 0.010 and saves costs by $860 compared with 200 mg/day of LCM. Deterministic sensitivity analysis reveals that utility value and the extreme discount rate are the factors with the greatest impact on the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis show that the results are robust. Budget impact analysis indicates that after inclusion of PER in the NRDL, the incremental budget would be $1.28, $2.83, and $4.56 million from 2021 to 2023, respectively, but covering more eligible epileptic patients in the same time (1,918, 4,287, and 8,983, respectively).Conclusion: PER (8 or 4 mg/day) is of relatively high value as an add-on therapeutic regimen for partial-onset seizures in China because of its dominate advantage of cost-effectiveness over LCM and acceptable budget impact.

BackgroundClinical guidelines recommend a stepped-escalation treatment strategy for type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Across multiple treatment strategies varying in efficacy and costs, no clinical or economic studies directly compared them. This study aims to estimate and compare the cost-effectiveness of 10 commonly used pharmacologic combination strategies for T2DM.MethodsBased on Chinese guideline and practice, 10 three-stepwise add-on strategies were identified, which start with metformin, then switch to metformin plus one oral drug (i.e., sulfonylurea, thiazolidinedione, α-glucosidase inhibitor, glinide, or DPP-4 inhibitor) as second line, and finally switch to metformin plus one injection (i.e., insulin or GLP-1 receptor agonist) as third line. A cohort of 10,000 Chinese patients with newly diagnosed T2DM was established. From a healthcare system perspective, the Cardiff model was used to estimate the cost-effectiveness of the strategies, with clinical data sourced from a systematic review and indirect treatment comparison of 324 trials, costs from claims data of 1164 T2DM patients, and utilities from an EQ-5D study. Outcome measures include costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), and net monetary benefits (NMBs).ResultsOver 40-year simulation, the costs accumulated for a patient ranged from $7661 with strategy 1 to $14,273 with strategy 10, while the QALY gains ranged from 13.965 with strategy 1 to 14.117 with strategy 8. Strategy 7 was dominant over seven strategies (strategies 2~6, 9~10) with higher QALYs but lower costs. Additionally, at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $30,787/QALY (i.e., 3 times GDP/capita for China), strategy 7 was cost-effective compared with strategy 1 (ICER of strategy 7 vs. 1, $3371/QALY) and strategy 8 (ICER of strategy 8 vs. 7, $132,790/QALY). Ranking the strategies by ICERs and NMBs, strategy 7 provided the best value for money when compared to all other strategies, followed by strategies 5, 9, 8, 1, 3, 6, 10, 2, and 4. Scenario analyses showed that patients insist on pharmacologic treatments increased their QALYs (0.456~0.653) at an acceptable range of cost increase (ICERs, $1450/QALY~$12,360/QALY) or even at cost saving compared with those not receive treatments.ConclusionsThis study provides evidence-based references for diabetes management. Our findings can be used to design the essential drug formulary, infer clinical practice, and help the decision-maker design reimbursement policy.

Cost-effectiveness analysis in cardiac surgery: A review of its concepts and methodologies

Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Dienogest Compared with Combined Oral Contraceptives after Surgery for Endometriosis

BackgroundHypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), with hypertension-related deaths increasing annually. While South Korea uses the Korean Society of Hypertension (KSH) guideline of 140/90 mmHg, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) updated their guidelines in 2017 to 130/80 mmHg. This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of transitioning to the 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines by estimating early treatment impacts and potential CVD risk reduction.MethodsA Markov state-transition simulation model with a 10-year horizon was used to estimate cost-effectiveness, focusing on strengthening target blood pressure. Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) served as the measure of effectiveness. Cohorts of 10,000 individuals representing South Koreans in their 20s through 80s were compared in scenario analyses from the healthcare system perspective. A 4.5% annual discount rate was applied to costs and effectiveness. Primary outcomes were incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and net monetary benefit (NMB). The willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold was < KRW 30,000,000/QALY gained. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses (PSAs) addressed model input parameter uncertainties.ResultsThe base-case analysis showed an ICER value of KRW 1,328,395/QALY gained across all populations. ICER values increased with age, from − KRW 3,138,071/QALY for 20-year-olds to KRW 16,613,013/QALY for individuals over 80. The 60s age group showed the greatest benefit with an incremental QALY gain of 0.46. All scenarios had ICERs below the WTP threshold, with a PSA probability of 98.0% that strengthening blood pressure classification could be cost-effective.ConclusionsThis economic evaluation found that adopting the 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines may result in early treatment, reduce the potential incidence of CVD events, and be cost-effective across all age groups. The study findings have implications for policymakers deciding whether and when to revise official guidelines regarding target blood pressure levels, considering the impacts on public health and budgetary concerns.

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of opportunistic CT for sarcopenia screening compared with standard-of-care clinical screening methods, using a decision-analytic model based on quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and healthcare costs. We developed a decision-analytic model simulating a hypothetical cohort of 70-year-old male patients at risk for sarcopenia over a 3-year time horizon from a US healthcare system perspective. The model compared two screening strategies: standard-of-care clinical evaluation per EWGSOP2 guidelines (physical exam + DXA evaluation of lean mass) and opportunistic CT as measures of muscle mass and quality. Model inputs-including screening sensitivities/specificities, costs, utility values, and probabilities of cardiovascular complications-were derived from published literature. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and net monetary benefit (NMB) were calculated, and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of findings across variable inputs. Opportunistic CT was the favored strategy, with lower costs ($845 vs. $1,295), comparable effectiveness (0.87 QALYs), and higher net monetary benefit ($86,037 vs. $85,588) relative to the standard-of-care strategy. The standard-of-care strategy's ICER was $47.7 million per QALY, exceeding our willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis across 100,000 simulations demonstrated that opportunistic CT was favored across all tested willingness-to-pay thresholds up to $200,000. Opportunistic CT is a cost-effective strategy for sarcopenia screening, offering similar effectiveness at a lower cost compared to the standard-of-care approach. By leveraging existing imaging studies, opportunistic CT screening has the potential to enhance early detection and decrease the underdiagnosis of sarcopenia while also reducing the burden of additional DXA scans and clinical visits.