Abstract

ROMERO, Martín  and  ARANGO, Carlos H. Analysis of cost effectiveness of the use of metoprolol succinate in the treatment of hypertension and heart failure in Colombia. Rev. Colomb. Cardiol. [online]. 2012, vol.19, n.4, pp.160-168. ISSN 0120-5633.

Objective: to conduct an assessment of cost-effectiveness of the use of metoprolol succinate versus metoprolol tartrate and carvedilol in the treatment of patients with congestive heart failure and hypertension in Colombia, from the third party payer's perspective. Methods: the study was conducted using a Markov model simulating the natural history of the disease for a time horizon of five years, taking 100 patients aged 45 years. Both hospitalizations and deaths avoided were evaluated as outcomes. The probability data were obtained from clinical studies and the costs of institutions databases and expert opinion, expressed in Colombian pesos of 2009. We applied a discount rate of 3%. Results: the cost of metoprolol succinate treated arm was the lowest, with 299 million pesos compared to 364 million and 346 million pesos for carvedilol and metoprolol tartrate, respectively. The lower number of hospitalizations occurred with metoprolol succinate, and corresponded with 24 admissions at the time horizon. In the carvedilol arm occurred fewer deaths. The indices showed that metoprolol succinate was dominant over the other beta-blockers in avoiding hospitalizations and deaths in comparison with metoprolol tartrate. Conclusions: we found the low effectiveness of metoprolol tartrate, which also generated the highest costs of care within the model. Carvedilol showed slightly better results in mortality compared to metoprolol succinate but with higher costs. Metoprolol succinate is the best choice since it is less costly and more effective in respect to hospitalizations. For the care of patients with congestive heart failure and hypertension in Colombia, treatment with metoprolol succinate is the most recommended option for its lower cost and greater effectiveness in the base case conditions.

Keywords : beta-blocker; sistemic arterial hypertension; heart failure; health economic evaluation.

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