The aim of this study is to systematize and analyze the available evidence on the financial burden of comorbidities in patients with acromegaly. A literature search was conducted in the scientific databases PubMed, Google Scholar, Bioseek using predefined keywords. Studies have been selected on the basis of their primary goal. 16 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis based on screening of 176 identified studies in the databases. Most of the selected studies were conducted in the USA (n = 6), Canada (n = 2), Sweden (n = 2), China (n = 1), Spain (n = 1), Italy (n = 1), Poland (n = 1). Studies confirmed the financial burden of comorbidities, which is most significant in patients with poor control of acromegaly/or of the main diesease – almost 2 times higher than in patients with good control. The costs of concomitant diseases vary in different countries and depend on the type of disease, as their share is lower than pharmacotherapy cost for acromegaly – 25% compared to 75%. The use of appropriate pharmacotherapy (octreotide, pasireotide) for acromegaly leads to reduction in the incidence and severity of comorbidities and to cost savings. Effective and timely control of comorbidities in acromegaly could lead to achievement of the desired long-term therapeutic results, reduction of overall mortality, improvement of quality of life, as well as reduction in total treatment costs from the point of view of the society and health care system. Read the whole article here.
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