Variations in healthcare costs by body mass index and obesity‐related complications in a UK population: A retrospective open cohort study
Authors' conclusion
The economic impact of obesity could be alleviated by weight management support based on unmet need, to limit the effects of BMI progression and ORC development.
Study context
- Population
- UK adults with overweight or obesity in Discover, a linked primary and secondary electronic health records database covering 2.7 million individuals; costs 2015–2019
- Participants
- 1,008,101 / 278,782 / 80,621 / 42,642
- Exposure
- Healthcare costs and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) across body mass index (BMI) strata
- Overweightn = 1,008,101
- Obesity class In = 278,782
- Obesity class IIn = 80,621
- Obesity class IIIn = 42,642
- Outcome
- Healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and healthcare costs (primary care, secondary care, prescriptions) by BMI
- Follow-up
- 2015-2019
Methodological detailsopen cohort, linked primary and secondary electronic health records database
- Open cohort
- Linked primary and secondary electronic health records database
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
2015 and 2019
Costs per person per year, 2015 (range across BMI groups)
£851-£1321
HCRU events per person per year, 2015
10.6-13.4 events
Costs per person per year, 2019
£1143-£1871
HCRU events per person per year, 2019
11.4-14.9 events
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Costs by complication
- Groups with CKD or CVD incurred particularly high costs
Cost concentration among individuals with obesity · 2019
- Individuals with obesity in 2019
- 270 493
- Share of total healthcare costs incurred by highest cost quintile
- more than 72%
- Highest cost quintile had higher mean age and more obesity-related complications than lower quintiles
Original publication
Variations in healthcare costs by body mass index and obesity‐related complications in a UK population: A retrospective open cohort study. Diabetes Obes Metab. Published 19 August 2024. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →