Hospitalization costs for heart failure in people with type 2 diabetes: cost-effectiveness of its prevention measured by a simulated preventive treatment.

Objectives: To estimate the cost-consequence of interventions to prevent hospitalizations for heart failure (HF) in people with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: In HF events (63) from type 2 diabetes-related hospitalizations (N = 462) recorded in an Argentine hospital (March 2004-April 2005), we verified 1) the presence of one metabolic HF predictor (glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c] value) before hospitalization; and 2) in a simulation model, the resources needed for its prevention controlling such predictor during 6 months before and after the event. Sensitivity analysis of HF risk reduction, hospitalization cost, and cost of different treatments to achieve HbA1c 7% or less was performed with a Monte Carlo simulation (10,000 iterations).