Identifying trends of hospital admissions and costs for cardiovascular disease events (CVDEs) is crucial for public health intervention and the economic burden for future clinical improvements andbetter outcomes. This study aims to define the admission trends and cost of CVDE among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in Malaysia between 2014 and 2020. Methodology: An ecological study was conducted using hospital admission data taken from the Casemix database in public hospitals in Malaysia. Hospital admission data for CVDE among T2DM patients were extracted for the period between 2014 and 2020. The cost data were retrieved from the Malaysian Disease Related Group (MalaysianDRG) costing section, and the median and total costs were calculated per CVDE per year. Descriptive statistical analysis and multiple logistic regression models were used to analyze trends and factors associated. A total of 240,611 T2DM admissions, representing 35.1% of 684,809 CVDE admissions, were included in this study. Among these, 32.9% were treated for myocardial infarction (MI), 20.1% for cerebrovascular accident (CVA), 19.4% for heart failure, 12.8% for ischemic heart disease (IHD), 8.2% for hypertensive heart disease (HHD), 5.6% for cardiomyopathy, and 1.0% for atherosclerosis and peripheral vascular disease (PVD). CVDE admissions were prevalent among males (59.2%) and associated with higher cost of admission (β = 1.13, P < 0.001), patients aged 40-49 years old had 24% high odd for high cost (β = 1.24, P < 0.001) compared to those aged 19-29 years. Compared to Malay, Chinese and other ethnicities were significantly associated with high cost (β = 1.13, P < 0.001). Patients with severity level III were 10 times more likely to have higher costs as compared to severity level I (β = 10.39, P < 0.001), 72.6% were admitted in less than five days, and 23.1% were less likely to incur high cost as compared to patients admitted more than five days (β = 0.769, P < 0.001). The trend of admissions is increasing each year, with the median total hospital expenditure higher in IHD patients with T2DM, which increased by 55.5% from 2014 to 2020 (from RM 4,187.98 to RM 6,510.43). This was followed by MI, which saw an 8% increase (from RM 3,881.80 to RM 4,211.18). The findings of this research indicated cardiovascular disease (CVD) admission trends and costs increased substantially over the years and higher costs in dual noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). These findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced preventive strategies targeting high-risk populations, such as males, individuals with severe disease levels, and specific ethnic groups. Policies should emphasize lifestyle modification programs, early diagnosis of cardiovascular risks among T2DM patients, and cost-effective treatments to mitigate the growing financial burden. Furthermore, resource allocation must be adjusted to address the increasing demand for care, particularly for conditions like IHD and MI, ensuring equitable access to quality care while containing healthcare costs.
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