Background. Although the burden of stroke in terms of mortality and disability has been well documented in previous years, data after 2000 are limited. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to identify the epidemiology of stroke in the US and EU5 nations from data published in 2000 and later. Methods. Data from literature databases and online sources were collated to identify information relating to the incidence, prevalence, and mortality of stroke from the year 2000 onwards. Results and Conclusions. Twenty-three data sources were identified. The incidence of and mortality due to stroke both increase with age and are greater in males compared to females. Stroke is a common problem and likely to worsen in the US and EU5 as their populations age. However, pre-2000 trends of decreasing stroke mortality over time have continued after 2000, reflecting a consistent improvement in the treatment and care of patients with stroke.

No abstract

Objectives: Since 2015, Zorginstituut Nederland (ZIN) has linked disease severity ranges of 0.10 to 0.40, 0.41 to 0.70, and 0.71 to 1.00 with willingness-to-pay (WTP) reference values of V20 000, V50 000, and V80 000 per quality-adjusted life year gained, respectively. We sought to review whether these changes have affected ZIN health technology assessment (HTA) outcomes for specialist and outpatient drugs.Methods: ZIN recommendations for specialist and outpatient drugs published between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2020, that included a pharmacoeconomic report were reviewed. Data were extracted on disease severity, proportional shortfall calculation, reported WTP reference value, outcomes related to the cost-effectiveness of the product, budget impact, and ZIN's recommendation including rationale for their advice.Results: A total of 51 HTAs were included. Of the 20 HTAs published before June 2015, a total of 9 received positive recommendations, 7 were conditionally reimbursed, and 4 received negative recommendations. None reported WTP reference values. Of the 31 evaluations published after June 2015, a total of 4 products received positive recommendations, 1 was conditionally approved, and 26 received negative recommendations initially. Most products (65%) reported disease severity to be .0.70.Conclusions: Since 2015, most products have fallen within the highest category of disease severity. Although pre-2015 outcomes were varied, post-2015 products overwhelmingly received negative recommendations, and the proportion of products for which price negotiations were recommended has increased. These differences in outcomes may result from the introduction of an explicit WTP reference value, whether or not in combination with the severity-adjusted ranges, but may also reflect other national policy changes in 2015.

The importance of correct management of patients with TIA is becoming increasingly recognized by physicians. Improved education for patients regarding symptom recognition and severity is required along with a standardized diagnostic process. These would enable correct and fast diagnosis and initiation of treatment thereby reducing the risk of further events.

Early and accurate diagnosis of stable coronary artery disease (CAD) is crucial to reduce morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. This critical appraisal of health-economic literature concerning non-invasive diagnostic cardiac imaging aims to summarize current approaches to economic evaluation of diagnostic cardiac imaging and associated procedural risks, inform cardiologists how to use economic analyses for decision-making, highlight areas where new information could strengthen the economic evaluation and shed light on cost-effective approaches to diagnose stable CAD. Economic analysis can support cardiologists' decision-making. Current economic evidence in the field does not provide sufficient information to guide the choice among different imaging modalities or strategies for each patient. Available economic analyses suggest that computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) is a cost-effective approach to rule out CAD prior to invasive coronary angiography in patients with low to intermediate pre-test probability of disease and that stress imaging modalities may be cost-effective at variable pre-test probabilities.