Cost-effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention compared with medical therapy for ischemic heart disease in Japan

Abstract

Background: The cost-effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ischemic heart disease is undetermined in Japan. The aim of this study was to analyze the cost-effectiveness of PCI compared with medical therapy for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and angina pectoris (AP) in Japan. Methods and Results: We used Markov models for STEMI and AP to assess the costs and benefits associated with PCI or medical therapy from a health system perspective. We estimated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), expressed as quality-adjusted life-years (QALY), and ICER