OBJECTIVES: To quantify the patient characteristics of a secondary prevention cardiovascular population in Ireland for use in cost-effectiveness analyses.

METHODS: Data relating to patients with a history of myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke were extracted from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging (TILDA). Patients were weighted to take account of age, gender and education selection bias. Patients were analysed as one single cohort and divided into three mutually exclusive groups: recurrent events, history of single MI and history of single stroke. The TILDA dataset contains variables on relevant patient demographics and self-reported doctor diagnosis of important co-morbidities. For patients who completed as health assessment, objectively measured patient characteristics were analysed and weighted for selection bias. The mean average cohort characteristics were recorded. Median rather than mean age was calculated due to data availability.

RESULTS:

The mean population characteristics derived from the single cohort were as follows: 66.2% Male; 9.7% Congestive Heart Failure; 15.7% Diabetes; 17.7% Abnormal Heart Rhythm; 53.8% Hypertension Treatment; 50.2% Hypercholesterolemia Treatment; 18.7% were current smokers, 53.9% smoked in the past. Median age was 70. The mean BMI of patients in the cohort who completed the health assessment was 29.58.

CONCLUSIONS:

Population characteristics of patients with a history of MI or stroke were presented which may be used in cost-effectiveness analysis of treatments for cardiovascular disease. The presentation of results for mutually exclusive cohorts will allow subgroup analysis to be conducted without double counting the patients at highest risk.