Is the APOE epsilon4 genotype associated with higher hospital costs among elderly patients?

OBJECTIVE: The apolipoprotein epsilon4 (APOE epsilon4) genotype is associated with a number of adverse health outcomes. The authors assessed whether the epsilon4 genotype was associated with higher hospital costs on the basis of data from 1,999 white or black respondents to the Duke Established Population for Epidemiological Studies of the Elderly who consented to be genotyped in 1992-1993. METHODS: They measured hospital costs, using the amount paid by Medicare for hospitalizations from 1992 to 1997. RESULTS: Persons with the epsilon4 genotype did not have higher costs than those who were epsilon4-negative. The highest costs were observed for those who had missing epsilon4 genotype. CONCLUSION: The epsilon4 genotype is not a significant predictor of hospital costs, and so would not be a good risk adjustor for purposes such as setting reimbursement rates for Medicare risk plans.

Duke Scholars

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