Using national survey data and risk equations from the Framingham Heart Study, we quantify the impact of antihypertensive therapy changes on blood pressures and the number and cost of heart attacks, strokes, and deaths. Antihypertensive therapy has had a major impact on health. Without it, 1999-2000 average blood pressures (at age 40+) would have been 10-13 percent higher, and 86,000 excess premature deaths from cardiovascular disease would have occurred in 2001. Treatment has generated a benefit-to-cost ratio of at least 6:1, but much more can be achieved. More effective use of antihypertensive medication would have an impact on mortality akin to eliminating all deaths from medical errors or accidents. [Health Affairs 26, no. 1 (2007): 97-110; 10.1377/hlthaff.26.1.97] M an y ana lys ts ag r e e t h at m e d i c a l i n n ovat i o n, whether in the form of new drugs, medical devices, diagnostic techniques, or procedures, has resulted in substantial improvements in both quality and length of life. However, estimating the actual societal value of medical innovation remains a challenge. The medical literature reports results from scores of randomized clinical trials measuring the relative safety and efficacy of specific treatments on individuals in highly controlled settings, but there are few careful estimates of the societal impact of specific medical innovations with real-world average rates of diagnosis, compliance, and clinical impact.Real-world experience may differ from that in highly controlled clinical trials. Patient compliance rates may be lower. Further, the overall population may be

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

The ageing of the US population and the recognised importance of preventative care has led to a growing body of research regarding the morbidity and mortality associated with chronic diseases in postmenopausal women. According to the National Institute of Health, postmenopausal women have a significant increase in risk for a number of debilitating diseases, including osteoporosis, breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. In addition, recently published studies prompted patients, clinicians and payers to re-examine the risks and benefits of a well-accepted therapy to treat postmenopausal symptoms. The objective of this paper is to provide a framework for assessing the economic impact of disorders affecting postmenopausal women, with a particular focus on osteoporosis, breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. This framework considers the prevalence of these conditions, the profiles of women suffering from each of them and prevailing patterns of treatment for these disorders. Taken together, these factors are used to analyse the overall economic impact of postmenopausal disorders and to provide an expert opinion in this context.