Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, including details on aaa (abdominal aortic aneurism), cardiac disease, treatment, symptoms, surgery.

Decision-analytical model with lifetime estimation of costs and health outcomes for one-time screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm in 65-year-old men.

Henriksson M, Lundgren F

Centre for Medical Technology Assessment, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. martin.henriksson@ihs.liu.se

BACKGROUND: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) causes about 2 per cent of all deaths in men over the age of 65 years. A major improvement in operative mortality would have little impact on total mortality, so screening for AAA has been recommended as a solution. The cost-effectiveness of a programme that invited 65-year-old men for ultrasonographic screening was compared with current clinical practice in a decision-analytical model. METHODS: In a probabilistic Markov model, costs and health outcomes of a screening programme and current clinical practice were simulated over a lifetime perspective. To populate the model with the best available evidence, data from published papers, vascular databases and primary research were used. RESULTS: The results of the base-case analysis showed that the incremental cost per gained life-year for a screening programme compared with current practice was 7760, and that for a quality-adjusted life-year was 9700. The probability of screening being cost-effective was high. CONCLUSION: A financially and practically feasible screening programme for AAA, in which men are invited for ultrasonography in the year in which they turn 65, appears to yield positive health outcomes at a reasonable cost.

Published 1 August 2005 in Br J Surg, 92(8): 976-83.
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