Estimation of the socio-economic burden of obesity in the Russian Federation

Abstract

Objective : To estimate the direct medical costs associated with the treatment of adult patients with obesity in the Russian Federation, including the costs of pharmacotherapy for obesity, management of comorbidities and hospitalizations due to specific obesity-related complication. Material and methods. A mathematical model was developed to analyze the direct medical costs of pharmacotherapy for obesity and related comorbidities over a 1-year time horizon. The analysis included adults aged 18–69 years with obesity (body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2); a subgroup of individuals with BMI ≥35 kg/m2 was analyzed separately. The target population size was determined using national epidemiological data, stratified by sex, age, and obesity class. The model evaluated the costs of pharmacotherapy for obesity, management of comorbid conditions, and hospitalizations associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, and arterial hypertension. Treatment costs were calculated based on dosing regimens, the State Register of Maximum Selling Prices, and public procurement data; hospitalization costs were estimated using diagnosis-related groups. Results . The estimated number of adults with obesity was 21.64 million, including 5.45 million individuals with BMI ≥35 kg/m 2 . In the modeled scenario of universal drug coverage, annual pharmacotherapy costs were estimated at 3.1 trillion rubles for the overall population and 778 billion rubles for the subgroup with BMI ≥35 kg/m 2 . The estimated number of comorbidity cases was 4.44 million for coronary heart disease, 15.2 million for arterial hypertension, and 7.03 million for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Pharmacotherapy costs for these conditions amounted to 69, 324, and 396 billion rubles, respectively. Annual hospitalization costs were estimated at 377 billion rubles for type 2 diabetes mellitus and 89 billion rubles for coronary heart disease. Conclusion . The management of adults with obesity and comorbid conditions within the Russian healthcare system is associated with substantial direct medical costs. Reducing this burden requires a combination of prevention, early detection, and long-term patient management.