The economic burden of hypertriglyceridemia among US adults with diabetes or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease on statin therapy

Abstract

Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, the cost burden of HTG-related CVD in high-risk US adults on statins has not been well characterized. We estimated the HTG-related health care cost burden among US adults with CVD or diabetes taking statin therapy. We estimated population sizes and annual health care costs among US adults aged ≥45years with diabetes or CVD taking statin therapy with normal triglycerides (TGs) defined as TG<150mg/dL compared with those with HTG defined as TG ≥ 150mg/dL. Population sizes were estimated from the 2007-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Adjusted mean total annual health care costs in 2015 US dollars were estimated using the Optum Research Database. The annual total health care cost burden was estimated by multiplying the population size by the mean annual total incremental health care costs overall and within subgroups. There were 6.2 (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.4 - 7.1) million and 12.0 (95% CI, 11.1- 12.9) million US adults aged ≥45years with diabetes and/or CVD on statin therapy with TG≥150mg/dL and TG<150mg/dL, respectively. The mean adjusted incremental total one-year health care costs in adults with TG≥150mg/dL compared with those with TG<150mg/dL was $1730 (95% CI, $1160 - $2320). This leads to a projected annual incremental cost burden associated with HTG in patients with diabetes or CVD on statins of $10.7 billion (95% CI, $6.8B - $14.6B). In US adults on statins and at high risk for CVD, the health care costs associated with HTG are substantial.