RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the costs and the health outcomes of primary care treatments for chronic diseases and to analyze the association between domains of quality of life (QoL), physical activity and healthcare costs. METHODS: The sample encompassed 292 patients aged 50 years or more in Brazilian primary care facilities, categorized in three groups: no drug treatment or only regular physical activity, only drug treatment, and drug treatment with regular physical activity. Patients were assessed in relation to quality of life, healthcare costs, regular physical activity, and use of medications. RESULTS: Results indicate higher cost-utility ratio among primary care patients adopting only drug treatment (3.92), followed by drug treatment with regular physical activity (3.21), and no drug treatment or only regular physical activity (0.12). CONCLUSIONS: QoL was significantly associated with risk factors for chronic diseases, especially obesity, and limitations in mobility showed important increases in healthcare costs. The dominant strategy in terms of cost-utility ratio was identified among primary care patients without drug treatment or physically active, followed by patients in drug treatment combined with regular physical activity. Drug treatment without regular physical activity showed worst results in relation to other primary care strategies.
Assuntos
Doença Crônica/tratamento farmacológico , Doença Crônica/economia , Exercício Físico , Custos de Cuidados de Saúde , Atenção Primária à Saúde/economia , Qualidade de Vida , Idoso , Brasil , Doença Crônica/terapia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-IdadeRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a combination of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The prevalence of MetS worldwide is increasing. There is no study investigating the economic burden of MetS, especially in developing countries, on medication-related expenditure. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of medication-related expenditures with MetS and to explore how physical activity (PA) may influence this association. METHODS: A total of 620 participants, 50 years or older, randomly selected in the city of Bauru, Brazil. Participants were followed from 2010 to 2014, and data on health care expenditure were collected annually. PA questionnaire was applied at baseline, 2 (2012), and 4 (2014) years later. RESULTS: Mean age was 64.7 (95% confidence interval, 64.1-65.3). MetS was associated with higher medication expenditure related to diseases of the circulatory (P <.01) and endocrine (P <.01) systems. MetS explained 17.2% of medication-related expenditures, whereas PA slightly attenuated this association, explaining 1.1% of all health care costs. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that MetS has a significant burden on health care expenditures among adults, whereas PA seems to affect this phenomenon significantly, but in low magnitude.