Research based on real-life data shows that the increasing problem of heart failure due to the aging of the population brings a burden of 7,1 billion TL to the Turkish economy. Diseases such as diabetes and kidney failure triggered by heart failure also increase the cost by 60%.
Due to the aging of the population in Turkey, the number of people suffering from heart failure is increasing. ECONiX Research has published the report of its analysis on more than 4 thousand patient files from 4 centers in different provinces of Turkey, with the title of “Turkey Low Ejection Fraction Heart Failure Disease Cost with Real-Life Data”. The report revealed the cost burden and labor loss that the heart failure problem in Turkey brings both to the public reimbursement institution, the TR Social Security Institution, and the Turkish Ministry of Health, which provides health services, and to the economy in general. In the report, which is shown as a first in Turkey because it is based on real-life data, the direct and indirect economic burden caused by the heart failure problem was calculated as 7,1 billion TL. It has been stated that diseases such as obesity, diabetes and kidney failure triggered by this disease increase the treatment costs by 60%.
1,6 thousand 977 of 286 million heart patients are at risk of death
In the report of ECONiX Research, it was stated that 7,1 billion TL of the 6,8 billion TL cost caused by the heart failure problem was covered by the public. The report included the following findings: “There are 1,6 million heart failure patients receiving treatment in Turkey. 60 thousand 977, which corresponds to 286% of the patients, need advanced and innovative treatments. These patients, diagnosed with low ejection fraction heart failure, take the largest share of costs. Failure to treat these patients has fatal consequences.”
More than half of patients experience diabetes and kidney failure
Stating that heart failure creates a serious economic burden for Turkey in inpatient and outpatient treatments, Exp. from the ECONiX Research project team. Mustafa Kurnaz made the following assessment regarding the report: “The rate of those with heart failure is approximately 2% of the total population. This rate varies between 65-5% for those over the age of 9. More than half of patients with heart failure suffer from obesity, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, hypertension and atrial fibrillation. This increases costs by 60%. According to the more than 4 files we reviewed in the report, the annual cost of an outpatient is 6 TL, and that of an inpatient is 335 TL." From the research project team, Dr. In the evaluation of Selin Ökçün, “The cost of outpatient treatment of patients with diabetes and kidney failure was calculated as 3 thousand 793 TL. This amount increased to 9 thousand 494 TL in inpatient treatments. These expected cost differences are important in disease management.”
ECONiX Research Managing Partner Dr. Güvenç Koçkaya commented on the report, “According to TUIK data, circulatory system diseases come first with 36% of deaths. According to the data of the TR Ministry of Health, the rate of chest pain or stroke due to a heart attack or heart disease in the Turkish population is around 5%. An important finding is the increased cost of treatment observed in heart failure patients with low ejection fraction, which has a significant impact on society. For this reason, it may be beneficial for both physicians and decision makers who manage the health budget in the public sector to prefer more preventive treatments for diabetes and kidney failure in heart failure patients with low ejection fraction.”
One of the project researchers and Arrhythmia Health Group physicians Assoc. Dr. Kerem Can Yilmaz; stated that concomitant diseases such as diabetes and kidney failure are important in the health outcomes of patients with clinically low ejection fraction and should be evaluated in treatment planning.
Labor costs are also rising
In the report, in which the labor loss caused by heart failure is also determined, the average labor loss per patient in heart failure patients with low ejection fraction is 896 TL, while this cost increases to 1.276 TL in the case of diabetes and kidney failure in addition to the patient. In terms of patients diagnosed with low ejection fraction heart failure, which constitutes 60% of heart failure patients, it was found that this cost per patient was 483 TL for outpatient treatments and 2 thousand 604 TL for inpatient treatments.
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