Glaucoma is a common ophthalmic condition, often associated with elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). It affects 2 million people in the US, and the incidence is expected to exceed 3 million by 2020. However, relatively little is known about the cost of glaucoma compared with costs for other eye...

Heart failure (HF) ranks among the most costly chronic diseases in developed countries. At present these countries devote 1-2% of all healthcare expenditures towards HF. In the US, these costs are estimated at $US30.2 billion for 2007. The burden of HF is greatest among the elderly, with 80% of...

The availability of new atypical antipsychotics, such as risperidone, that have higher acquisition costs than conventional treatments has prompted pharmacoeconomic evaluation of their costs and benefits. Risperidone is reported to have superior efficacy to haloperidol and similar efficacy to...

Severe sepsis remains both an important clinical challenge and an economic burden in intensive care. An estimated 750 Sepsis patients are generally treated in intensive care units (ICUs) where close supervision and intensive care treatment by a competent team with adequate equipment can be...

Acute rhinosinusitis is a common disease, in both children and adult patients, and happens most often in the setting of a viral infection with or without bacterial superinfection. Although spontaneous resolution is common, antibacterials are often prescribed and have a tremendous impact on...

As age-related macular degeneration (AMD) becomes more prevalent as a result of longer life expectancy and the number of elderly people worldwide, it will become increasingly important to understand its potential health and economic impact for appropriate healthcare planning. This review...

The diffusion of protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors in the US in 1996 and 1997 reduced the number of deaths attributable to HIV disease and changed the way we think about the illness. Today, HIV disease may be deemed a fairly expensive chronic condition...

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects 170 million individuals worldwide. As it is detected incidentally through the evaluation of liver function tests or at the time of blood donor testing, it is usually clinically silent until the advanced stages of liver disease have occurred, when...

The introduction of expensive disease-modifying agents for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) has created the potential for patients with MS to become higher contributors to healthcare spending. In an attempt to make formulary and reimbursement choices for these agents, decision-makers may...

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory arthritis in association with skin psoriasis (Ps). PsA may show a heterogeneous and variable clinical course, with involvement of peripheral and axial diarthrodial joints, periarticular structures such as...