Short-term societal economic burden of first-incident type 2 diabetes-related complications – a nationwide cohort study

ABSTRACT

Background

People with type 2 diabetes are at increased risk of developing diabetes-related complications and the augmented societal costs increase with the severity of complications. The objective was to estimate the short-term attributable societal costs of the first event of specific diabetes-related complications amongst people with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

The study was based on national registry data covering all patients with type 2 diabetes in Denmark. Attributable costs of each event were calculated as the difference between costs of patients with the specific event and costs incurred by their controls. Results were reported for the incidence year and the following two years.

Results

On average, 13,054 patients were identified annually from 2007 to 2013 with one or more of 17 specific first-incident diabetes-related complications. The attributable healthcare costs amounted to 114 million EUR annually in the incidence year alone. Costs were highest in the incidence year but were significantly higher also in the 2^nd and 3^rd year, driven particularly by increased indirect costs.

Conclusions

Short-term excess costs of treating specific first-incident diabetes-related complications are massive for society. Our study highlights the importance of strengthening primary prevention within type 2 diabetes to minimize the risk of developing costly diabetes-related complications.

KEYWORDS:

• Cardiovascular disease
• diabetes type 2
• micro- and macrovascular complications
• costs
• cost of illness

Author contribution

J Kjellberg was involved in study design, data collection, data analysis and interpretation, and editorial support. CK Tikkanen contributed to study design, data analysis and interpretation, and revising the manuscript. M Bagger contributed to data interpretation and writing the manuscript. P Gæde was involved in study design, data interpretation, and editorial support.

All authors read the final version of the manuscript critically and approved the submitted version.

Compliance with ethics guidelines

Under Danish law, no ethics approval is required for register‐based studies.

Declaration of interest

J Kjellberg is employed by VIVE, the Danish Center for Social Science Research, Denmark, an independent research and analysis centre. The contribution to the manuscript was funded by Novo Nordisk. CK Tikkanen is an employee of Novo Nordisk Denmark A/S. M Bagger is an employee of M Bagger Scientific Writing, Denmark, an independent medical writing agency, which contribution to the manuscript was funded by Novo Nordisk. P Gæde is employed by Institute for Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, and Department of Cardiology and Endocrinology, Slagelse Hospital, Denmark. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Reviewers disclosure

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by Novo Nordisk.