Cost-of-illness analysis in patients with chronic noncommunicable diseases that contribute to cardiovascular risk

Population aging drives the incidence of non-communicable chronic diseases, especially those associated with increased cardiovascular risk, representing an economic challenge for the healthcare system, which faces ever-growing care demands and resource shortages. In this context, this study aims to estimate the direct medical costs related to arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus in elderly patients treated at a teaching hospital in Northeastern Brazil, from the perspective of the Brazilian Unified Health System. This is a retrospective cost-of-illness analysis based on data from 113 medical records from the year 2023, using the micro-costing method. As the data were obtained in 2023, cost values were adjusted for inflation, and a one-way sensitivity analysis and the Kruskal–Wallis H test were conducted. The sample was predominantly female (74.3%), with a mean age between 65 and 69 years. Hypertension was the most prevalent comorbidity (95.6%), followed by dyslipidemia (68.1%) and diabetes (54.9%). The total annual direct medical cost was US$ 64,069.38, with medications accounting for 90.5% of this amount. Patients with high cardiovascular risk had the highest costs, and although the public health system covers most medications, 29.7% are still paid for by the patients themselves, which can impact family income and compromise adherence to treatment. The results show that these diseases impose a high economic burden, predominantly concentrated in medication costs, and high cardiovascular risk is a determinant of the total financial impact.