Arq. Bras. Cardiol. 2022; 118(6): 1126-1131
Cost-Effectiveness of Using the Coronary Artery Calcium Score in Guiding Therapeutic Decisions in Primary Prevention in the Brazilian Population
Raul Serra Valério
, Giuliano Generoso
, Juliano Lara Fernandes
, Khurram Nasir, Jonathan C. Hong, Marcio Sommer Bittencourt
This Original Article is referred by the Short Editorial "Cost-Effectiveness of Using the Coronary Calcium Score to Guide Therapeutic Decisions in Primary Prevention in the Brazilian Population".
Abstract
Background:
The use of the coronary artery calcium score to aid cardiovascular risk stratification may be a more cost-effective tool than the conventional strategy.
Objectives:
Evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of the use of the calcium score in therapeutic guidance for primary cardiovascular prevention.
Methods:
A microsimulation model to assess the clinical and economic consequences of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, comparing the prevention strategy using the calcium score and the conventional strategy.
Results:
The results obtained demonstrated a better cost-effectiveness of the therapeutic strategy guided by the calcium score, by reducing incremental costs and increasing quality-adjusted life years (QALY), which corresponds, in number, to improving the quality of life of the individual.
Conclusions:
The use of the coronary artery calcium score proved to be more cost-effective than the conventional strategy, both in terms of cost and QALY, in most of the scenarios studied.
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