Higher Medical Costs with Corticosteroid Use Save

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) health insurance claims database study from Japan shows that RA patients initially treated with glucocorticoids (GCs) and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) experienced greater medical costs and healthcare utilization than patients not treated with GC. 

The date of the first DMARD (index date) and the 12 months post-index date were used to assess endpoints in the GC and non-GC group. The primary endpoints were costs for drugs, treatments, and materials per patient. 

A total of 1,670 and 1,487 patients were included the GC and non-GC groups, respectively. 

The costs for drugs, treatments, and materials were significantly higher in the GC group compared with the non-GC group 

• Drug costs for RA and AEs
  • GC: 2,818 USD
  • non-GC: 1,882 USD
• Drrug costs for RA only
  • GC 2,697 USD
  • non-GC 1,805 USD
• Material costs
  • GC: 112 USD
  • non-GC: 77 USD (P < 0.05)

GC treated patients were more likely to be on csDMARDs, biologics, opioids, NSAIDs, osteoporosis and anti-infective drugs. Hospitalizations were also higher in the GC group.

Patients with RA treated with GCs in the first year, are indicative of those with more aggresive disease and a greater likelihood of incurring higher medical costs than patients not treated with GCs.