Metformin in the Diabetes Prevention Program 3‐year trial: The cost‐effectiveness that never was
Authors' conclusion
In contrast to original claims, although lifestyle was cost-effective in diabetes prevention, metformin was not, and acting otherwise imposes significant monetary and health costs. Various available tools of economic evaluation would probably have prevented the original misinterpretation by the authors had they been used. The varied tools implemented here illustrate with a common example their consistency and value to the field, showing how to depict the results in various ways.
Study context
- Comparison
- Lifestyle vs metformin vs placebo
- Outcome
- Cost-effectiveness of metformin
Methodological detailsre-analysis of the trial-based Diabetes Prevention Program cost-effectiveness analysis, revised quality-adjusted life year (QALY) calculations, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), net monetary benefits, decision uncertainty, net losses
- Re-analysis of the trial-based Diabetes Prevention Program cost-effectiveness analysis
- Revised QALY calculations
- ICERs
- Net monetary benefits
- Decision uncertainty
- Net losses
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- ICERs with either QALY calculation: metformin technically and economically inefficient and not cost-effective
- Virtually no decision uncertainty
- All methods pointed to an identical conclusion
Original publication
Metformin in the Diabetes Prevention Program 3‐year trial: The cost‐effectiveness that never was. Diabetes Obes Metab. Published 14 August 2024. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →