OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the extent of @entity299 is a useful predictor of the costs of healthcare and social support for @entity1 with @entity712 . DESIGN: Cross-sectional study with collection of cost data attributed to management of @entity712 in the previous year. SETTING: Four primary-care practices in Scotland. @entity1 : @entity1 receiving long term therapy with loop diuretics for suspected @entity712 . INTERVENTIONS: Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES AND RESULTS: Two hypotheses were tested: (i) the proportion of @entity1 incurring costs is higher in @entity1 with abnormal left ventricular (LV) function; and (ii) the median cost per @entity1 that incurs costs is higher in @entity1 with abnormal LV function. Of the 226 @entity1 in the study, 67 (30%) had abnormal systolic function. In comparison with the remaining 159 @entity1 , they had higher healthcare costs [560 Pounds vs 440 Pounds per @entity1 year (1994/1995 values)], were more likely to incur hospital inpatient or outpatient costs [Odds ratio (OR): 2.02; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06 to 3.84] and had significantly higher primary-care costs (mean 292 Pounds vs 231 Pounds per @entity1 year; p = 0.02, Mann Whitney test). In contrast, they were no more likely to incur social support costs (OR: 1.22; 95% CI: 0.52 to 2.86) and the mean cost of social support per @entity1 year was lower (234 Pounds vs 373 Pounds). CONCLUSIONS: @entity1 with objectively measured @entity299 incurred significantly higher healthcare costs in the year before diagnosis. This suggests that treatment that improves systolic function will reduce healthcare costs, even in a primary-care population with relatively mild @entity712 .

Costs associated with symptomatic XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'patients', 'patient', 'PATIENTS'] @entity712 :: ('MESH:D006333', 'Disease') :: ['congestive heart failure', 'heart failure'] @entity299 :: ('MESH:D006331', 'Disease') :: ['systolic dysfunction']
@entity712 :: (MESH:D006333,Disease) :: ['systolic heart failure']
