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Research based on real-life data shows that the increasing problem of heart failure due to the aging of the population brings a burden of 7.1 billion TL to the Turkish economy. Diseases such as diabetes and kidney failure triggered by heart failure also increase the cost by 60%.

*** This release is originally published in Turkish.

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ISTANBUL (TR) - Due to the population aging in Turkey, the number of people suffering from heart failure is increasing. ECONiX Research published the report of the analysis they carried out on more than 4 thousand patient files from 4 centers in different provinces of Turkey, with the title of “Turkey Low Ejection Fraction Heart Failure Disease Cost with Real-Life Data.” The Social Security Institution and the Ministry of Health, which provides health services, revealed the cost burden and labor loss it brings to the economy in general. The report, shown as a first in Turkey because it is based on real-life data, calculated the direct and indirect economic burden caused by the heart failure problem at 7.1 billion TL. It was stated that the treatment costs of diseases such as obesity, diabetes and kidney failure triggered by this ailment increased by 60%.

977 thousand 286 of 1.6 million heart patients are at risk of death

In the report of ECONiX Research, it was stated that the public covered 6.8 billion TL of the 7.1 billion TL cost caused by the heart failure problem. The report included the following findings: “There are 1.6 million heart failure patients receiving treatment in Turkey. 977 thousand 286, corresponding to 60% of the patients, need advanced and innovative treatments. These patients diagnosed with low ejection fraction heart failure take the largest share of costs. Failure to treat these patients has fatal consequences.”

More than half of patients experience diabetes and kidney failure

Stating that heart failure creates a severe economic burden for Turkey in inpatient or outpatient treatments, Exp. from the ECONiX Research project team. Mustafa Kurnaz made the following assessment regarding the report: “The rate of those with heart failure is approximately 2% of the total population. This rate varies between 5-9% for those over 65. More than half of patients with heart failure suffer from obesity, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, hypertension and atrial fibrillation. This increases costs by 60%. According to the more than 4,000 files we reviewed in the report, the annual cost of an outpatient is 6,335 TL, and that of an inpatient is 3,793 TL." Medical Specialist Selin Ökçün from the research project team, evaluated the subject and said, “The cost of outpatient treatment of patients with diabetes and kidney failure was calculated as 9 thousand 494 TL. This amount increased to 10 thousand 394 TL in inpatient treatments. These expected cost differences are important in disease management.” 

ECONiX Research Managing Partner Dr. Güvenç Koçkaya commented on the report, “According to TUIK data; circulatory system diseases come first with 36% of deaths. T.R. According to the data of the Ministry of Health, the rate of chest pain or stroke due to a heart attack or heart disease in the Turkish population is around 5%. An important finding is the increased cost of treatment observed in heart failure patients with low ejection fractions, which significantly impacts society. For this reason, it may be beneficial for physicians and decision-makers who manage the health budget in the public sector to prefer more preventive treatments for diabetes and kidney failure in heart failure patients with low ejection fraction.”

One of the project researchers and Arrhythmia Health Group physician Assoc. Dr. Kerem Can Yilmaz; stated that concomitant diseases such as diabetes and kidney failure are essential in the health outcomes of patients with clinically low ejection fractions and should be evaluated in treatment planning.

Labor costs are also rising

In the report, which also determines the loss of labor caused by heart failure, the average labor loss per patient in heart failure patients with low ejection fraction is 896 TL. In comparison, this cost increases to 1,276 TL in the case of diabetes and kidney failure in addition to the patient. In terms of patients diagnosed with low ejection fraction heart failure, which constitutes 60% of heart failure patients, it was found that this cost per patient was 483 TL for outpatient treatments and 2 thousand 604 TL for inpatient treatments.