The burden of illness of osteoporosis in Canadian men

• Published in: Journal of bone and mineral research 2012-08, Vol.27 (8), p.1830-1838
• Main Authors: Tarride, Jean-Eric, Guo, Na, Hopkins, Robert, Leslie, William D, Morin, Suzanne, Adachi, Jonathan D, Papaioannou, Alexandra, Bessette, Louis, Brown, Jacques P, Goeree, Ron
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; BURDEN OF ILLNESS; Canada - epidemiology; Cost of Illness; Data processing; Economics; FRACTURE; Fractures; Fractures, Bone - complications; Fractures, Bone - diagnosis; Fractures, Bone - economics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health Expenditures; Hip; Hospitalization - economics; Humans; Length of Stay - economics; Male; MEN; Middle Aged; OSTEOPOROSIS; Osteoporosis - complications; Osteoporosis - economics; Osteoporosis - epidemiology; Rehabilitation; Resource utilization; Skeleton and joints; Surgery; Vertebrates: osteoarticular system, musculoskeletal system
• ISSN: 0884-0431; 1523-4681
• DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.1615

There is a dearth of information about the burden of osteoporosis in Canadian men. To fill this gap, we conducted a burden of illness study aimed at estimating the economic burden attributable to osteoporosis in Canadian men aged 50 years and older. Five national data sources were used to estimate health care resource utilization and costs (in 2010 Canadian dollars) associated with osteoporosis in men. Any information gap was supplemented by using data from provincial and community sources. Direct medical costs included costs associated with hospitalizations, same day surgeries, emergency room visits, rehabilitation, chronic care, long‐term care, home care, physician visits, and prescribed medications. The value of lost productivity from patients and informal caregivers was also determined to provide a societal perspective. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the impact of key assumptions on the results. In fiscal year 2007/2008, the total economic burden of treating and rehabilitating male osteoporotic fractures was estimated at $570 million per year, where direct medical costs accounted for 86%. Acute care utilization was responsible for 70% of all direct costs. About 51% of all hospitalizations were for hip fractures and hip fractures alone accounted for 54% of the acute care spending. If a proportion of Canadian men were assumed to live in long‐term care facilities due to osteoporosis, the overall annual cost of osteoporosis would increase from $570 million to $910 million. Male osteoporosis has a substantial economic burden on the Canadian society. © 2012 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.