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. 2023 May 19;41(8):913–943. doi: 10.1007/s40273-023-01276-5

Table 2.

Cost effectiveness of management strategies in high-income countries

Author, year and reference Price year, and currency Study perspective Class of atrial fibrillation Base-case intervention Comparator(s) Willingness-to-pay threshold ICER (as reported in original studies) ICER in 2021 US dollars Cost-effective strategy
Stroke prevention for low risk of stroke patients
Kongnakorn et al., 2015 [30] 2013, Euro Payer All classes Warfarin Apixaban; dabigatran; rivaroxaban €30,000 Apixaban 5mg: €7212/QALY Apixaban 5 mg: 9960/QALY Apixaban
Lee et al., 2016 [33] 2014, USD Provider All classes Warfarin

Aspirin;

clopidogrel + aspirin; LAAC; dabigatran; apixaban; rivaroxaban

$50,000 LAAC: $6298/QALY LAAC: 7112/QALY LAAC
Rognoni et al., 2014 [37] 2013, Euro Payer All classes Warfarin Apixaban; dabigatran; rivaroxaban €25,000 Apixaban 5 mg: €9631/QALY Apixaban 5 mg: 14,574/QALY Apixaban
Verhoef et al., 2014 [40] 2012, Euro Provider All classes Coumarin derivative Apixaban; dabigatran; rivaroxaban €20,000 The Netherlands, Apixaban: €13,024/QALY. UK, Dabigatran: €11,172/QALY. The Netherlands. Apixaban: 18,422/QALY. UK. Dabigatran: 15,803/QALY

Apixaban

and

Dabigatran

Verhoef et al., 2016 [41] 2014, GBP, SEK Provider All classes Std of care Pharmacogenetic-guided warfarin £20,000 (UK); 500,000 SEK (Sweden) UK, £6702/QALY. Sweden, 253,848 SEK UK, 10,885/QALY. Sweden, 33,040/QALY Pharmacogenetic-guided warfarin
Wang et al., 2014 [43] 2012, USD Provider Paroxysmal Warfarin Dabigatran; rivaroxaban $58,500 Rivaroxaban: $26,727/QALY Rivaroxaban: 31,291/QALY Rivaroxaban
Stroke prevention for moderate risk of stroke patients
Athanasakis et al., 2015 [18] 2013, Euro Payer All classes Apixaban Dabigatran; rivaroxaban €30,000 Apixaban: ≤ €13,727/QALY (relative to comparators) Apixaban: ≤ 24,302/QALY (relative to comparators) Apixaban
Canestaro et al., 2013 [19] 2011, USD Societal All classes Warfarin Apixaban; dabigatran; rivaroxaban $100,000 Apixaban: $93,063/QALY Apixaban: 111,043/QALY Apixaban
Cervantes et al., 2022 [20] 2018, Euro Payer All classes Warfarin Apixaban; dabigatran; rivaroxaban €22,000 Rivaroxaban: €952/QALY. Rivaroxaban: 1560/QALY. Rivaroxaban
Choi et al., 2022 [21] 2020, USD Provider All classes Warfarin Apixaban; dabigatran; edoxaban; rivaroxaban $32,000 Apixaban: $8427/QALY. Apixaban: 8602/QALY Apixaban
Coyle et al., 2013 [22] 2011, CAD Payer All classes Warfarin Apixaban; dabigatran; rivaroxaban $50,000

Dabigatran 150 mg: $20,797/QALY;

Apixaban: $24,312/QALY

Dabigatran 150 mg: 19,975/QALY;

Apixaban: 23,351/QALY

Dabigatran 150 mg was optimal if the CHADS2 score was less than 2 or more than 2 with previous minor stroke
de Jong et al., 2019 [23] 2018, Euro Societal All classes Apixaban Warfarin; dabigatran; edoxaban; rivaroxaban €20,000 Apixaban: €3506/QALY Apixaban: 4665/QALY Apixaban
Freeman et al., 2016 [24] 2014, USD Payer All classes LAAC Dabigatran; warfarin $50,000 LAAC versus warfarin: $20,486/QALY. dabigatran: $23,422/QALY LAAC versus warfarin: 23,133/QALY. dabigatran: 26,448/QALY LAAC
Harrington et al., 2013 [25] 2012, USD Provider All classes Warfarin Apixaban; dabigatran; rivaroxaban $50,000 Apixaban 5 mg: $15,026/QALY. Apixaban 5 mg: 17,592/QALY. Apixaban
Janzic and Kos, 2015 [27] 2014, Euro Payer All classes Warfarin Apixaban; dabigatran; edoxaban; rivaroxaban €25,000 Genotype-guided warfarin dosing: $6959/QALY. Genotype-guided warfarin dosing: 12,896/QALY Pharmacogenetic-guided warfarin
Micieli et al., 2016 [34] 2012, CAD Payer Paroxysmal LAAC Apixaban; dabigatran; warfarin; rivaroxaban $50,000 Apixaban: $28,167/QALY Apixaban: 20,782/QALY Apixaban
Pradelli et al., 2014 [35] 2013, Euro Payer All classes Apixaban Dabigatran; rivaroxaban €20,000 Apixaban: €3882/QALY. Apixaban: 5874/QALY. Apixaban
Rognoni et al., 2014 [37] 2013, Euro All classes Warfarin Apixaban; dabigatran; rivaroxaban €25,000 Dabigatran: €7609/QALY Dabigatran: 11,514/QALY Dabigatran
Shah et al., 2016 [8] 2015, USD Payer All classes Warfarin Apixaban; dabigatran; edoxaban; rivaroxaban $100,000 Apixaban: $25,816/QALY Apixaban: 28,843/QALY Apixaban
Vargas et al., 2018 [39] 2015, USD Payer All classes Warfarin Apixaban; dabigatran; edoxaban; rivaroxaban $100,000 Edoxaban: $86,882/QALY Edoxaban: 97,068/QALY Edoxaban
Walter et al., 2021 [42] 2018, Euro Provider All classes Apixaban Warfarin; dabigatran; edoxaban; rivaroxaban €28,000 Apixaban: €12,743/QALY Apixaban: 16,156/QALY Apixaban
Wong et al., 2020 [44] 2018, CAD Payer All classes Aspirin

Apixaban; dabigatran; edoxaban; rivaroxaban;

warfarin

$50,000 Apixaban: $5517/QALY Apixaban: 4848/QALY Apixaban
Zhao et al., 2016 [47] 2015, USD Payer All classes Warfarin Apixaban; dabigatran; edoxaban; rivaroxaban $49,700 Apixaban: $24,476/QALY Apixaban: 27,348/QALY Apixaban
Zheng et al., 2014 [48] 2013, GBP Payer All classes Dabigatran Apixaban; warfarin; rivaroxaban £25,000 Dabigatran: dominates Dabigatran: dominates Dabigatran
Stroke prevention for patients at high risk of stroke
Hospodar et al., 2018 [26] 2015, USD Payer All classes Warfarin Apixaban; dabigatran; edoxaban; rivaroxaban $100,000 Warfarin: dominates Warfarin: dominates Warfarin (for patients who can achieve TTR of 70%)
Labori et al., 2022 [31] 2020, Euro Provider; societal All classes Std of care LAAC €45,829

LAAC: €4047/QALY (provider).

Cost-saving (societal)

LAAC: 466/QALY (provider).

Cost-saving (societal)

LAAC
Lanitis et al., 2014 [32] 2012, Euro Payer All classes Warfarin

Apixaban;

Aspirin; dabigatran; edoxaban; rivaroxaban

€30,000 Apixaban: €12,227/QALY Apixaban: 17,077/QALY Apixaban
Reddy et al., 2018 [36] 2016, USD Payer All classes LAAC Warfarin; apixaban; dabigatran $50,000 LAAC: dominates LAAC: dominates LAAC
Rognoni et al., 2014 [37] 2013, Euro Payer All classes Warfarin Apixaban; dabigatran; rivaroxaban €25,000 Apixaban: €4723/QALY Apixaban: 7147/QALY Apixaban
Saw et al., 2016 [38] 2015, CAD Payer All classes Aspirin (patients contraindicated for OACs) LAAC Not defined LAAC: dominates LAAC: dominates LAAC
Wu et al., 2021 [45] 2018, USD Payer All classes Warfarin Apixaban; dabigatran; edoxaban; rivaroxaban $50,000 Edoxaban: $15,864/QALY; Edoxaban: 16,826/QALY Edoxaban
You Joyce, 2015 [46] 2015, USD Payer Paroxysmal Genotype-guided DOAC Universal use of DAOC $50,000 DOAC: $314,129/QALY DOAC: 350,959/QALY Pharmacogenomic-guided warfarin
Shah et al., 2016 [8] 2015, USD Payer All classes Warfarin Apixaban; dabigatran; edoxaban; rivaroxaban $100,000 Dabigatran: $31,435/QALY Dabigatran: 35,120/QALY Dabigatran
Rate control for patients at low risk of stroke
Kim et al., 2019 [10] 2017, USD Societal All classes Atenolol Propranolol; betaxolol; bevantolol; bisoprolol; diltiazem; verapamil $30,000 Propranolol: cost saving Propranolol: cost saving Propranolol
Rhythm control for patients at low risk of stroke
Khaykin et al., 2015 [56] 2012, USD Payer Paroxysmal AAD CA $50,000

Ablation:

Lifetime: $1228/QALY. 10 year: $22,879/QALY.

Ablation:

Lifetime: 1 438/QALY. 10 year: 26,786/QALY.

CA (for a lifetime or minimum of 10 years)
Anderson et al., 2014 [57] 2013, USD Payer Persistent AAD Convergent procedure; CA Not defined CA: $30,596/QALY; Convergent: $20,640/QALY CA: 35,202/QALY; Convergent: 23,748/QALY Convergent procedure
Kim et al., 2019 [10] 2017, USD Societal All classes Atenolol Sotalol; Pilsicainide Flecainide; Propafenone Dronedarone; Amiodarone $30,000 Sotalol: $227/QALY. Sotalol: 246/QALY. Sotalol
Pathak et al., 2017 [61] 2010, AUD Provider Paroxysmal and persistent No RFM RFM Not defined

RFM: −$52,305/QALY

(4 year). −$62,653/QALY (10 year)

RFM: Cost saving

(4 year). Cost saving (10 year)

Risk factor management
Reynolds et al., 2014 [62] 2011, GBP Payer Paroxysmal AAD Cryoballoon ablation £30,000/QALY Cryoballoon: £21,957/QALY Cryoballoon: 37,525/QALY Cryoballoon ablation
Rhythm control for patients at moderate risk of stroke
Anderson et al., 2014 [57] 2013, USD Payer Persistent AAD Convergent procedure; CA Not defined CA: $11,175/QALY. Convergent: $2214/QALY CA: 12,857/QALY. Convergent: 2547/QALY Convergent procedure
Lau et al., 2021 [59] 2018, CAD Payer Paroxysmal and persistent AAD CA $50,000 CA: $35,360/QALY CA: 31,071/QALY CA
Rhythm control for patients at high risk of stroke
Anderson et al., 2014 [57] 2013, USD Payer Persistent AAD Convergent procedure; CA Not defined Convergent versus CA: dominant Convergent: dominant Convergent procedure
Chew et al., 2022 [58] 2018, USD Provider Persistent AAD Catheter ablation $100,000 Catheter ablation: $57,893/QALY Catheter ablation: 61,403/QALY Catheter ablation
Leung et al., 2022 [60] 2019, GBP Payer All classes AAD Catheter ablation £20,000 £8614/QALY 12,869/QALY Catheter ablation
Mixed treatment strategy: rhythm control and stroke prevention
Kimura et al., 2017 [29] 2014, Yen Payer Paroxysmal AF CA + warfarin CA + dabigatran ¥6,000,000

CA + warfarin: ¥3.45–5.70 M/QALY.

CA + dabigatran: ¥3.81M–8.08M/QALY

CA + warfarin: 62,896/QALY.

CA + dabigatran: 89,158/QALY

CA + warfarin for low to moderate risk of stroke. CA + dabigatran for high risk of stroke
Kawakami et al., 2021 [28] 2020, USD Provider All classes CA + std OAC CA + LAAC $50,000/QALY CA + LAAC strategy: $11,072/QALY CA + LAAC strategy: 11,302/QALY CA + LAAC

AAD anti-arrhythmic drugs, AF atrial fibrillation, CA catheter ablation, LAAC left atrial appendage closure, OAC oral anti-coagulant, QALY quality-adjusted life-years, RFCA radiofrequency catheter ablation, RFM risk factor management, TTR time to therapeutic range, USD United States dollars, VKA vitamin K antagonist