DESCRIPTION OF CVD

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is defined as disease of the heart and blood vessels and is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, accounting for one third of all deaths in 2015. CVD is also a significant cause of morbidity and can have a major impact on quality of life. Consequently, CVD contributes significantly to escalating healthcare costs. The most common manifestation of CVD is coronary heart disease, i.e. disease of the vessels supplying blood to the heart. Other forms of CVD include cerebrovascular disease and peripheral arterial disease.

RESEARCH AT QUANTIFY

Quantify’s CVD research program is aimed at providing greater understanding of the clinical and economic burden of CVD, treatment patterns, and incidence of key outcomes of interest, including major cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction and stroke.

The program covers Swedish real-world nation-wide data on patients with CVD, chronic kidney disease, and patients treated with a lipid-lowering agent such as statins and PCSK9 inhibitors, over a span of more than 15 years. It includes data on hospital visits and admissions, prescription drugs, socioeconomics, sick leave and early retirement and associated indirect costs, as well as dates and causes of death. This enables us to, for instance, analyse treatment patterns and Health Care Resource Utilazation (HCRU) over time.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

1. Banefelt, J., et al., Statin dose titration patterns and subsequent major cardiovascular events in very high-risk patients: estimates from Swedish population-based registry data. European Heart Journal-Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes, 2020. 6(4): p. 323-331.
2. Lindh, M., et al., Cardiovascular event rates in a high atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk population: estimates from Swedish population-based register data. European Heart Journal – Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes, 2019. 5(3): p. 225-232.
3. Hallberg, S., et al., Healthcare costs associated with cardiovascular events in patients with hyperlipidemia or prior cardiovascular events: estimates from Swedish population-based register data. The European Journal of Health Economics, 2016. 17(5): p. 591-601.
4. Banefelt, J., et al., Work productivity loss and indirect costs associated with new cardiovascular events in high-risk patients with hyperlipidemia: estimates from population-based register data in Sweden. The European Journal of Health Economics, 2016. 17(9): p. 1117-1124.
5. Hallberg, S., et al., Lipid‐lowering treatment patterns in patients with new cardiovascular events–estimates from population‐based register data in Sweden. International journal of clinical practice, 2016. 70(3): p. 222-228.
6. Leosdottir, M., et al., The Association Between Treatment Intensity And Adherence To Lipid-lowering Therapies And Cardiovascular Outcomes In Patients With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease In Primary And Secondary Care: A Swedish Registry-Based Study. ISPOR Europe 2019, 2019.
7. Hagström, E., et al., Rates of major cardiovascular events in patients with a history of myocardial infarction and additional risk factors: Evidence from a Swedish nationwide register-based study. Atherosclerosis, 2020. 315: p. e179.
8. Hagström, E., et al., PCV15 Rates of Major Cardiovascular Events in Patients with a History of Ischemic Stroke: Evidence from a Swedish Nationwide Register-Based Study. Value in Health, 2020. 23: p. S488-S489.