OBJECTIVES: To estimate the economic burden of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) in Colombia when the standard of care is used.

METHODS: A social perspective was used, considering direct costs related to healthcare system and to households; and indirect costs, using Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) and a reference of average income per worker. Costs were estimated using a macro-costing method and these values were used to perform a simulation with the Markov process model in each of the five stages of the disease (Normoalbuminuria, Microalbuminuria, Macroalbuminuria, End-stage renal disease, and death, respectively). For this model, a cohort of 1,000, 40-year-old people with T2D was used, and a time horizon of 37 years, up to 77 years old (according to life expectancy in Colombia).

RESULTS: Using an exchange rate of $3,756.67 Colombian pesos per US dollar (USD), it was found that at 2021 prices, the CKD in T2D generates an economic burden close to USD $58 million, of which direct healthcare costs are USD $12.8 million, household costs are USD $8.7 million and total indirect costs are USD $36.5 million. Also, a total of 9.92 DALYs were found per person, of which years life lost (YLL) for premature death are 6.62 and years lived with disability (YLD) are 3.29.

CONCLUSIONS: In Colombia, CKD in T2Drepresents high costs for society, mainly related to the healthcare system and households. Most of these costs are due to indirect costs related to DALYs, which represents approximately 60% of the total burden of the disease. Also, the indirect and direct cost increase as the disease progresses.