Cost of an emerging epidemic: an economic analysis of atrial fibrillation in the UK
Open accessAbstract
Objective: To evaluate the cost of atrial fibrillation (AF) to health and social services in the UK in 1995 and, based on epidemiological trends, to project this estimate to 2000. Design, setting, and main outcome measures: Contemporary estimates of health care activity related to AF were applied to the whole population of the UK on an age and sex specific basis for the year 1995. The activities considered (and costs calculated) were hospital admissions, outpatient consultations, general practice consultations, and drug treatment (including the cost of monitoring anticoagulant treatment). By adjusting for the progressive aging of the British population and related increases in hospital admissions, the cost of AF was also projected to the year 2000. Results: There were 534 000 people with AF in the UK during 1995. The “direct” cost of health care for these patients was £244 million (~€350 million) or 0.62% of total National Health Service (NHS) expenditure. Hospitalisations and drug prescriptions accounted for 50% and 20% of this expenditure, respectively. Long term nursing home care after hospital admission cost an additional £46.4 million (~€66 million). The direct cost of AF rose to £459 million (~€655 million) in 2000, equivalent to 0.97% of total NHS expenditure based on 1995 figures. Nursing home costs rose to £111 million (~€160 million). Conclusions: AF is an extremely costly public health problem.
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Atrial fibrillation is known to have a significant impact on health care costs, with the major cost-drivers being hospitalizations, stroke, and loss of productivity.
“AF is known to have a significant impact on health care costs, with the major cost-drivers being hospitalizations, stroke, and loss of productivity.6, 27, 28”
From Worldwide Epidemiology of Atrial Fibrillation: A Global Burden of Disease 2010 Study (2014) · cites this paper as [6]
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- Authors
- Stewart, S., Murphy, N., Walker, A., McGuire, A., & McMurray, J. J. V.
- Affiliations
- University of South Australia (AU)
- Western Infirmary (GB)
- University of Glasgow (GB)
- London School of Economics and Political Science (GB)
- Corresponding author
- McMurray, J J V
- Venue
- Heart
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2004-02-13
- Volume
- 90
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 286-292
- ISSN
- 1355-6037 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-201X
- PMC
- PMC1768125
- OpenAlex
- W2164238702
- Cited by
- 590
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 39 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 38 · 2014: 31 · 2013: 36 · 2012: 47
- FWCI
- 19.86
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Heart (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Adelaide Research & Scholarship (AR&S) (University of Adelaide) (submittedVersion)
- ENLIGHTEN (Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling Islam) (submittedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- British Heart Foundation
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Atrial Fibrillation Management and Outcomes
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Acute Ischemic Stroke Management
- Keywords
- atrial fibrillation, economic burden, health care costs, hospitalization, anticoagulation, nursing home care, cost projections, population aging, outpatient visits, drug prescribing
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Ambulatory Care, Atrial Fibrillation, Community Health Services, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Health Expenditures, Family Practice, Female, United Kingdom, Hospitalization, Humans, Long-Term Care, Male, Middle Aged, Nursing Homes, Drug Prescriptions, Referral and Consultation, Program Evaluation, Cost of Illness, Hospital Costs
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