Utilization and Lifetime Costs of Formal Care for Alzheimer’s Disease Dementia in Sweden
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: INTRODUCTION: The study aimed to estimate the utilization and lifetime costs of formal care for individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia in Sweden. METHODS: We used longitudinal data from 20,366 individuals (mean age: 78.54 years) diagnosed with AD dementia from the Swedish Register of Cognitive/Dementia Disorders linked to other registers to derive data on formal care utilization, including inpatient and outpatient specialist care, prescribed drugs, and social care. We estimated formal care utilization across AD dementia stages defined by the Mini-Mental State Examination and the lifetime formal care costs (in 2023 Swedish krona, SEK) in patients with AD dementia using the Zhao and Tian estimator, which uses the inverse probability weighting technique to account for censoring due to loss to follow-up. The estimates of lifetime costs were compared with those of controls matched to patients with AD dementia by birth year, sex, and region of residence at the time of diagnosis. RESULTS: The number of outpatient specialist visits decreased as AD severity increased, while the number of drug prescriptions and social care utilization increased with advancing AD stages. The estimated lifetime costs of formal care for AD dementia were 2,440,000 SEK (€212,174; $US230,189; 95% CI 2,088,000-2,793,000 SEK), compared with 510,000 SEK (€44,348; $US48,113; 95% CI 482,000-539,000 SEK) for matched controls. CONCLUSIONS: This study estimated the utilization and lifetime costs of formal care for AD dementia using longitudinal register data. These findings will provide inputs for future economic evaluations of treatments and preventive interventions for AD dementia.
Source: PharmacoEconomics
Institutions: Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Novo Nordisk (Denmark), University of Wisconsin–Madison, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, UK Dementia Research Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, University of Gothenburg, Region Västra Götaland
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,990
Funders: Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, Familjen Erling-Perssons Stiftelse, Cure Alzheimer's Fund, Stiftelsen för Gamla Tjänarinnor, National Institute for Health and Care Research, University College London, European Commission, VINNOVA, Hjärnfonden, Karolinska Institutet, Novo Nordisk, Vetenskapsrådet, Forskningsrådet om Hälsa, Arbetsliv och Välfärd, Stiftelsen Psykiatriska Forskningsfonden, Alzheimerfonden, Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting, UK Dementia Research Institute, Olav Thon Stiftelsen
Awards: G1618790837, G172399529, PREDEM: precision diagnostics and treatment och cognitive disorders and prevention of dementia, G292763017, Trajectories of neuronal degeneration and vascular pathology in preclinical Alzheimer`s disease, Fluid biomarkers for neurodegenerative dementias, Fluid biomarkers for neurodegenerative dementias, Development of cutting-edge combination therapy using neurotrophin, anti-amyloid and galantamine therapy for Alzheimer´s disease, G5777938672, CASCADE: CAuSe or Consequence in Alzheimer DiseasE?, Multi-omics Interdisciplinary Research Integration to Address DEmentia diagnosis, G680319674, PRECISION MEDICINE PLATFORM IN NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE, G821247696, G869033135
OpenAlex ID: W7147208151