In 2014, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended behavioral counseling interventions for overweight or obese adults with the following known cardiovascular disease risk factors: impaired fasting glucose (IFG), hypertension, dyslipidemia, or metabolic syndrome. We assessed the long-term cost-effectiveness (CE) of implementing the recommended interventions in the U.S.
We used a disease progression model to simulate the 25-year CE of the USPSTF recommendation for eligible U.S. adults and subgroups defined by a combination of the risk factors. The baseline population was estimated using 2005–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The cost and effectiveness of the intervention were obtained from systematic reviews. Incremental CE ratios (ICERs), measured in cost/quality-adjusted life-year (QALY), were used to assess the CE of the intervention compared with no intervention. Future QALYs and costs (reported in 2014 U.S. dollars) were discounted at 3%.
We estimated that ~98 million U.S. adults (44%) would be eligible for the recommended intervention. Compared with no intervention, the ICER of the intervention would be $13,900/QALY. CE varied widely among subgroups, ranging from a cost saving of $302 per capita for those who were obese with IFG, hypertension, and dyslipidemia to a cost of $103,200/QALY in overweight people without these conditions.
The recommended intervention is cost effective based on the conventional CE threshold. Considerable variation in CE across the recommended subpopulations suggests that prioritization based on risk level would yield larger total health gains per dollar spent.
