Health-economic evaluation of statins versus lifestyle changes for cardiovascular disease prevention

Guardado en:

Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:	PLoS One vol. 20, no. 9 (Sep 2025), p. e0331176
Autor principal:	Gandjour, Afschin
Publicado:	Public Library of Science
Materias:	US Preventive Services Task Force United States > US Germany Exercise Physical fitness Task forces Health care policy Nutrition research Mortality Intervention Cardiovascular diseases Risk factors Cholesterol Health promotion Diet Disease prevention Statins Statistical analysis Bayesian analysis Expenditures Counseling Heart diseases Cost effectiveness Stroke Costs Blood pressure Cardiovascular disease Primary care Algorithms Heart Systematic review Lifestyles Health insurance Social
Acceso en línea:	Citation/Abstract Full Text Full Text - PDF
Etiquetas:	Agregar Etiqueta Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!

Descripción
Resumen:	IntroductionThe German Federal Ministry of Health aims to improve cardiovascular health by expanding statin eligibility. However, the shift in funding from lifestyle-based preventive programs to statins has raised concerns that existing prevention efforts could be undermined. This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of statins compared with lifestyle interventions for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Germany under constrained healthcare budgets.MethodsA cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted using secondary data. Effectiveness data for statins were drawn from meta-analyses and systematic reviews, showing a 26% reduction in major cardiovascular events. Lifestyle intervention data were derived from the US Preventive Services Task Force (2020), reporting a relative risk of 0.80 for CVD events. A z-score test compared the effectiveness, while a Bayesian analysis assessed the probability of statins being more effective. Costs were analyzed from the perspective of German statutory health insurance (SHI) enrollees, including copayments and treatment monitoring expenses.ResultsThe z-score of −1.26 (p = 0.207) indicated no statistically significant difference in the effectiveness of statins compared to lifestyle interventions. However, Bayesian analysis estimated an 89.7% probability that statins are more effective. Statins were generally cheaper, especially when preventive courses are repeated annually.ConclusionsStatins likely offer higher cost-effectiveness than lifestyle changes, though the difference in benefits is not statistically significant. Concerns about reallocating funds from lifestyle programs to statins are somewhat mitigated by these findings.
ISSN:	1932-6203
DOI:	10.1371/journal.pone.0331176
Fuente:	Health & Medical Collection