Attributable societal costs of first-incident obesity-related cardiovascular comorbidities in Denmark

ABSTRACT

Background: Obesity is associated with increased societal costs, primarily due to its comorbidities. The objective of this study was to estimate the 3-year attributable societal costs of the first event of cardiovascular comorbidities among people with obesity.

Methods: We used an incidence-based cohort study based on Danish national registries. Attributable costs of each event were calculated as the difference between costs of individuals with an event and costs incurred by matched controls.

Results: We identified 58,597 individuals with a diagnosis of obesity. On average, 2,038 individuals were diagnosed annually with one or more than ten cardiovascular comorbidities between 2007 and 2013. The 3-year attributable societal costs (health-care costs plus productivity loss) for patients of working age ranged from 8,164 EUR for other ischemic heart disease to 32,203 EUR for hemorrhagic stroke. In the incidence year, costs were mainly driven by health-care costs, while productivity loss and income transfer payments were the primary drivers in subsequent years.

Conclusion: The onset of obesity-related cardiovascular comorbidities affected health-care costs and work ability to an extent where sick pay and disability pension were required. Our study demonstrates the need to intensify obesity and cardiovascular disease risk factor management to prevent costly and debilitating obesity-related comorbidities.

KEYWORDS:

• Cardiovascular disease
• comorbidity
• costs
• obesity
• societal costs

Acknowledgments

Writing support was provided by Malene Bagger, MSc, PhD (M Bagger Scientific Writing, which is an independent medical writing agency). The writing support was funded by Novo Nordisk.

Author contributions

J Kjellberg was involved in study design, data collection, data analysis, interpretation, and editorial support. CK Tikkanen contributed to study design, data analysis, interpretation, and revising the manuscript. Both authors read the final version of the manuscript critically and approved the submitted version.

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. 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

Notes

1. Exchange ratio: 1 GBP = 1.14675 EUR. https://www.xe.com. Accessed 15 February 2021.

Additional information

Funding

The study was funded by Novo Nordisk.