The socio-economical burden of hypersomnia

Two thousand two hundred and eight patients with a hypersomnia diagnosis from 1998 to 2005 were identified in the Danish national patient registry (NPR), each compared with 4 age and gender adjusted, randomly chosen citizens selected from the Civil Registration System Statistics.

The health cost was decomposed in direct and indirect yearly costs, including labor supply and social transfer payments. Direct costs included frequencies and costs of discharges and outpatient use by cost weights according to diagnosis related groups and specific outpatient prices based on data from The Danish Ministry of Health.

The use of and costs of drugs was based on data from the Danish Medicines Agency. The frequencies and costs from primary sectors were based on data from The National Health Security. Indirect costs were based on income data from the coherent social statistics (CSS).

Patients with hypersomnia presented significant higher health related contact rate, expenses and medication use. No differences were identified in employment and income. The yearly sum of direct and indirect costs were yearly €3402 vs. €1212 in controls (P < 0.001), corresponding to a yearly excess costs €2190. The patients presented higher transfer income, total €889.

Hypersomnia patient present higher health and medication uses, and social transfer income and thus represent a significant socio-economical burden.