The Economic Burden Of Insulin Resistance, Obesity, And Cardiovascular Disease In Medicare Beneficiaries 65 Years Of Age And Older

Introduction: Insulin resistance (IR) is thought to be a common pathogenic driver of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM), metabolic syndrome, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Obesity may further exacerbate CVD and increase medical costs in IR patients. While T2DM medical costs are well studied, medical costs and CVD rates in patients with IR and obesity are less well understood. Methods: Data source: Medicare Limited Data Set 2013-2014 demographic and medical claims data for 5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries. We used ICD-9 diagnosis codes to identify age-eligible (65+) patients with IR conditions: T2DM, metabolic syndrome, and NAFLD. We calculated spending using Medicare payments and examined rates of hospitalization and CVD comorbidities, which can underlie higher spending. The Charlson Comorbidity Index, a predictor of one-year mortality, measured illness burden. Significance was assessed using t-tests. Results: Expenditures and hospitalization rates for ...