Tufts University
Tufts University
Unintended Benefits? The Potential Economic Impact of Chronic Disease Management on Alzheimer's Prevention
Evidence indicates that some conventional therapies, such as those designed primarily to address cardiovascular disease and diabetes, may have the added benefit of delaying the onset or even potentially reducing the risk of various forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). With a disease modifying drug targeting AD unavailable for at least some time, it makes sense to investigate the potential "unintended" dementia prevention (or onset delay) benefits stemming from increased utilization of therapies for AD-related conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. This study aims to estimate long-term economic outcomes of effectively treating conditions associated with higher risk of AD/dementia. We will play out the impact of chronic disease management on AD/dementia prevention in different scenarios to give ranges of potential savings. For example: How much would we save by effectively managing diabetes/hypertension/obesity/CVD? How much would we save by effectively managing those chronic conditions AND having an effective AD/dementia treatment?