Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40050715›Full record

ArticleBMC geriatrics2025

Annual societal cost of Alzheimer's disease in Malaysia: a micro-costing approach.

Siew Chin Ong, Lyn Xuan Tay, Hui Ming Ong, Ing Khieng Tiong, Alan Swee Hock Ch'ng, Thaigarajan Parumasivam

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC geriatrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Siew Chin OngDiscipline of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, 11800, Malaysia. siewchinong@usm.my.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9750-9588
Lyn Xuan TayDiscipline of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, 11800, Malaysia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-2757-8123
Hui Ming OngDepartment of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital Pulau Pinang, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Georgetown, Pulau Pinang, 10990, Malaysia.
Ing Khieng TiongDepartment of Geriatric, Pusat Jantung Sarawak, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, 94300, Malaysia.
Alan Swee Hock Ch'ngDepartment of Medicine, Seberang Jaya Hospital, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Seberang Perai, Penang, 13700, Malaysia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3081-4182
Thaigarajan ParumasivamDiscipline of Pharmaceutical Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, 11800, Malaysia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6278-3627

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlzheimer's disease (AD) is expected to have a significant impact on resource use and economic consequences along with population aging. This study aims to investigate the annual economic burden of Alzheimer's disease along with underlying cost drivers. METHODOLOGY: Patients with AD aged 65 and above accompanied with primary caregivers were recruited in 6 tertiary care hospitals. A structured interview was conducted to collect sociodemographic, clinical and resource use information using an adapted questionnaire. Direct medical cost, direct non-medical cost and indirect cost were annualised and categorised by severity level. Generalised linear models were applied to investigate predictors of costs.

resultsAmong 135 patient-caregiver dyads, the annual economic burden of AD from a societal perspective was USD 8618.83 ± USD 6740.79 per capita. The societal cost of severe AD patients (USD11943.19 ± USD6954.17) almost doubled those in mild AD (USD6281.10 ± USD6879.83). IDC was the primary cost driver (77.7%) which represented the impact of productivity loss due to informal care. Besides disease severity, time spent in informal care, caregivers' employment and use of special accommodation were predictors of AD cost. This neurodegenerative disorder is estimated to impose a burden of USD1.9 billion in 2022, which represents 0.47% of Malaysia's GDP.

conclusionThis study provided real-world empirical cost estimates of AD burden in Malaysia. Informal care is a significant contributor to the societal cost of AD. Optimal healthcare resource allocation is essential in the decision making of healthcare stakeholders to address rising demands.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseCaregiversCost of IllnessHealth Care CostsAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMalaysiaMaleAlzheimer'sCost-of-illnessDementiaGeriatricsIndirect costSocietal costSpecial accommodation

Identifiers

PMID40050715
PMCPMC11884180

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.