Impacto económico de la enfermedad de Alzheimer: Resultados preliminares en Buenos Aires

Background: Population aging is a process that is especially accelerated in some parts of the world. Latin America has to confront population "graying" in the context of an emerging economy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the economic cost of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. AD patients (NINCDS-ADRDA) and their respective primary caregivers were recruited. Methods: The cognitive impairments and severity of dementia were assessed with Mini mental State Examination (MMSE), and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) respectively. One structured inteview about health and non health care resources consumed during the last 3 month was administered to family caregivers. Total costs included actual expenditures such as direct medical costs, as well as indirect costs (loss of earnings due to loss of productivity). Results: Seventy two AD patients were considered to be valid for the analysis (mean age 75.1±7.4, 37 female, duration of disease 51.0±37.8, MMSE: 13.9±9.4). The Annual Total Cost was $8.069 in community dwelling and 11.698$ in institutionalized patients. Direct costs were 3 times and half high in the last population. The annual cost of the disease increased with cognitive deterioration between 6.739 in mild and 9.539 in severe. Conclusion: The annual cost of AD increase with severity and institutionalization of the patients. With projected increases in the number of persons at risk for developing AD in emerging countries, the economic familial cost of the disease will be significant. Interventions that would reverse or delay progression may result in significant cost saving.