Septal Ablation and Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy: 7 Years US Experience

Associations of sex on economic burden in patients with symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: results from medical and pharmacy claims data

Background

Previous studies of patients with symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM) have reported worse clinical burden for female patients; whether this translates to an increase in healthcare resource use (HRU) and cost is unknown. Therefore, we evaluated the impact of sex on economic burden in symptomatic oHCM.

Methods

Medical and pharmacy claims data were assessed from 2016 to 2021 to identify (ICD-10 code) adult patients with symptomatic oHCM in the United States. Generalized linear models were used to estimate HCM-related cost and generalized estimating equations for HRU [both reported as mean per-person-per-year (PPPY)] for healthcare categories: inpatient, outpatient, emergency room (ER), urgent care, and pharmacy. Cox proportional hazard regressions were used to compare differences in male and female patients with symptomatic HCM.

Results

Among 9,490 patients with symptomatic oHCM, 5,309 (55.9%) were female. Female patients were older (64 ± 13 vs. 59 ± 14), with a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (1.9 vs. 1.7) compared to males, respectively. After adjusting for patient characteristics, female patients had significantly greater number of HCM-related hospitalizations (0.24 vs. 0.20 PPPY, p = 0.0014), LOS (5.08 vs. 4.30 PPPY; p = 0.0235), number of outpatient visits (4.98 vs. 4.59 PPPY; p = 0.0387), and number of distinct drugs (0.59 vs. 0.55 PPPY; p = 0.0010), compared with males, respectively. In adjusted models, only HCM-related pharmacy costs were significant, with female patients having slightly higher costs compared to males ($70 vs. $61 PPPY; p = 0.0465). There were no significant differences in all-cause costs of care between male and female patients with oHCM.          .

Conclusions

Female patients with symptomatic oHCM experience greater rates of HCM-related and all-cause hospitalizations and number of prescriptions, and HCM-related length of stay, outpatient visits, and pharmacy costs compared to male patients.

Modified Delphi expert elicitation of the clinical and economic burden of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in England and Northern Ireland

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the resource use of patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), stratified by New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, in the English and Northern Irish healthcare systems via expert elicitation.

DESIGN

Modified Delphi framework methodology.

SETTING

UK HCM secondary care centres (n=24).

PARTICIPANTS

Cardiologists who actively treated patients with HCM were eligible, of whom 10 from English and Northern Irish centres participated. Recruitment of participants to the study was limited to one expert per site.

METHODS

Responses were collected by electronic quantitative survey. Following the discussion of survey results in a virtual panel, aggregated responses from a final survey were analysed and stratified by NYHA class. Data were analysed without (base case) and with (scenario) interventional cardiologists who conduct septal reduction therapies (SRTs).

RESULTS

Based on expert opinion, as NYHA class increased, so did the mean±95% CI number of primary care consultations (classes I-IV: 0.64±0.35; 1.07±0.33; 3.29±1.02; 6.00±2.46, respectively) per patient per annum. This was also observed across all types of secondary care consultations, such as mean±95% CI number of cardiovascular-related outpatient visits (classes I-IV: 0.69±0.26; 0.88±0.24; 2.13±0.78; 3.25±1.42, respectively) and inpatient admissions (classes I-IV: 0.01±0.01; 0.04±0.07; 0.94±0.39; 1.90±0.65, respectively) per annum. Patients in NYHA class III were most likely to undergo SRT in their lifetime (mean±95% CI proportion of patients:17.25%±7.19% or 26.30%±13.61% including interventionalists). Across NYHA, experts estimated that septal myectomy was more costly than alcohol septal ablation (mean±95% CI: £15 675±£10 556 vs £6750±£5900, respectively). Prescription of beta-blockers was higher than calcium channel blockers, irrespective of NYHA class.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment of obstructive HCM is associated with a substantial clinical and economic burden in England and Northern Ireland; the burden of the disease increasing with NYHA class is driven by the need for intensive disease management, hospitalisations and the potential burden of undertaking SRTs.

Cardiac Myosin Inhibition for Treatment of LVOT Obstruction in a Patient With Severe AS

Aortic stenosis and obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are common conditions. When both are present in the same patient, the management can be challenging. We report what we believe to be the first time a cardiac myosin inhibitor has been used before transcutaneous aortic valve replacement.

A systematic literature review of economic evaluations and cost-of-illness studies of inherited cardiomyopathies

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are commonly inherited heart conditions associated with a high risk of heart failure and sudden cardiac death. To understand the economic and societal disease burden, this study systematically identified and reviewed cost-of-illness (COI) studies and economic evaluations (EEs) of various interventions for HCM and DCM. A literature search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, NHS EED, EconLit and Web of Science to identify COI studies and EEs published between 1 January 2010 and 28 April 2021. The selection of studies and their critical appraisal were performed jointly by two independent researchers. For the quality assessment, the 'Consensus on Health Economic Criteria' list was used. Two COI studies and 11 EEs were eligible for inclusion. Cost-effectiveness varied among interventions and depended on the targeted patient population. Both COI studies identified only hospitalisation costs in HCM. The mean study quality was high in EEs but low in COI studies. Most studies excluded costs for patients, caregivers and productivity losses. Overall, knowledge of the societal and economic burden of inherited cardiomyopathies is limited. Future research needs to include quality-adjusted life years and a broader range of costs to provide an information base for optimising care for affected patients.

Characteristics of Patients With Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Real-World Community-Based Cardiovascular Practices

The clinical profile of patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHC) is not well characterized, with little evidence outside selected referral populations. Using longitudinal medical claims data from a United States nationwide database, we retrospectively identified adults who were newly diagnosed with oHC. Clinical characteristics were compared from 1 year before diagnosis and at the 2-year follow-up. Patients (N = 1,841) with oHC (age 63 ± 15 years; 52% were male) with geographic representation across the United States were identified. Most patients received care within community-based cardiovascular practices and 7% at referral hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) centers. Baseline diagnostic procedures included electrocardiogram (66%), echocardiogram (51%), magnetic resonance imaging (4%), and HC genetic testing (0.7%). Baseline co-morbidities were hypertension (59%), coronary artery disease (30%), diabetes (19%), and atrial fibrillation (19%). For all HC-related medications, use significantly increased after diagnosis. During follow-up, 144 patients (8%) received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator for sudden death prevention, 99 underwent septal myectomy (5%), and 24 underwent alcohol septal ablation (1%). By the 1-year follow-up, 2% of patients had sudden cardiac arrest and 26% had atrial fibrillation, and heart failure increased from 16% to 27%. In conclusion, in a community-based population of patients with oHC, patients' age at diagnosis of oHC was older than reported for referral populations and patients had a significant co-morbidity burden. Cardiovascular medication use was appropriate, but the rate of guideline-supported surgical procedures was low.

Healthcare resource utilization and cost of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a US population

Background

There are limited data evaluating all-cause and disease-related healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and cost of care for patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM).

Methods

This was a retrospective study using US longitudinal medical and pharmacy claims data during 2012-2020. Adults with ≥2 oHCM diagnoses were identified, with the first diagnosis date used as the index date. HCRU and costs of care were reported for the year preindex (baseline) and at 1- and 2-year follow-ups.

Results

We identified 1841 patients with oHCM (63 ± 15 years; 52% male). The mean number of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)-related outpatient and cardiology visits increased from baseline to 1-year follow-up (2.3 vs. 7.8 and 0.6 vs. 2.2, respectively). At baseline, 8% of patients had ≥1 HCM-related inpatient hospitalization (mean 0.11 visits, 5.4 days length of stay), increasing to 27% postdiagnosis (mean 0.42 visits, 5.9 days length of stay). Total HCM-related costs increased from $5968 to $20,290 at 1-year follow-up, largely driven by inpatient hospitalization costs ($3889 vs. $14,369) and surgical costs ($2259 vs. $7217). The proportion with ≥1 HCM-related prescription increased from baseline (69%; mean fills 5.3) to 1-year follow-up (82%; mean fills 7.8). Pharmacy costs were generally low but also increased ($449 vs. $752).

Conclusions

This benchmark economic dataset for management and evaluation of patients with oHCM shows increased HCM-related costs over a 2-year period after oHCM diagnosis, driven by inpatient hospitalizations and surgical costs. Medication use was high, but costs were low, possibly reflecting use of generic multi-indication drugs for oHCM treatment.

Cardiac implantable electronic device placement following alcohol septal ablation for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the United States

BACKGROUND

Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) are sometimes required after alcohol septal ablation (ASA) for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The primary objectives of this study were to characterize the incidence, timing, and predictors of CIED placement after ASA for HCM.

METHODS

Patients were identified from the 2010-2015 Nationwide Readmissions Databases. Incidence, timing and independent predictors of CIED placement, as well as 30-day readmission rates were examined.

RESULTS

There were 1296 patients (national estimate = 2864) with HCM who underwent ASA. CIED were implanted in 322 (25% overall; 14% permanent pacemaker, 11% implantable cardioverter defibrillator) during the index hospitalization. Of these, 21%, 23%, 21%, and 18% occurred on postprocedure day 0, 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Only 17 (1.3%) patients underwent CIED implantation between discharge and 30-day follow up. Independent predictors of index hospitalization CIED implantation included older age, diabetes, heart failure, nonelective index hospital admission and hospitalization at a privately owned hospital. Nonelective 30-day readmission rates among those who did and did not undergo CIED placement during their index hospitalization, were 6.8% and 7.9%, respectively (p = .53); median time to readmission was also similar between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

One in four HCM patients undergoing ASA underwent CIED implantation during their index hospitalization; nearly 2/3rd during the first 48 h postprocedure. Private hospital ownership independently predicted CIED placement. More data are needed to better understand the unexpectedly high rates of CIED placement, earlier than anticipated timing of implantation and differential rates by hospital ownership.

Routinely collected health data to study inherited heart disease: a systematic review (2000-2016)

Objective

Our understanding of inherited heart disease is predominantly based on retrospective specialised clinic cohorts, which have inherent selection bias. Population-based routinely collected data can provide insight into unbiased, large-scale patterns of treatment and care but may be limited by the granularity of clinical information available. We sought to synthesise the global literature to determine whether we can identify patients with inherited heart diseases using routinely collected health data.

Methods

Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PreMEDLINE and Google Scholar citation databases were searched for relevant articles published between 1 January 2000 and 31 October 2016.

Results

A total of 5641 titles/abstracts were screened and 46 full-text articles were retrieved. Twelve peer-reviewed, English-language manuscripts met our inclusion criteria. Studies predominantly focused on Marfan syndrome (41%) or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (29%). All studies used International Classification of Disease diagnosis codes to define inherited heart disease populations; three studies also used procedure codes. Nine of the 17 definitions for inherited heart disease were repeated across studies.

Conclusions

Inherited heart disease populations can be identified using routinely collected health data, though challenges relate to existing diagnosis codes. This is an underutilised resource with the potential to inform patterns of care, patient outcomes and overall disease burden.