Recent trends for the management of hypertension in older adults in Latin America in the context of universal coverage: Evidence from Mexico

Int J Health Plann Manage. 2021 Mar;36(2):579-586. doi: 10.1002/hpm.3103. Epub 2020 Dec 24.

Abstract

Taking the Mexican case as a tracer of what is happening in Latin America on public health, we estimate the recent changes and challenges for the management of hypertension in older adults in the context of universal health coverage. The population base was 200, and 308 reported cases of older adults with hypertension. The cost-evaluation method used was based on the instrumentation and consensus technique. Regarding epidemiological changes for 2016 versus 2018, there is an increase of 21% (CI: 95%, p < 0.001). Comparing the economic impact in 2016 versus 2018 (CI: 95%, p < 0.001), the increase is 33%. The total amount estimated for hypertension in 2018 (in US dollars) was $ 1,896,520,273. It includes $ 898,064,979 as direct costs and $ 998,455,294 as indirect costs. The recent trends show that the financial requirements for the coming years do not guarantee the effectiveness of the coverage rates required for the elderly. In terms of catastrophic expenditure, the challenge is not minor, the greatest economic burden is for the pocket of patients and their families.

Keywords: Latin America; challenges; hypertension; older adults; trends.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Health Care Costs
  • Humans
  • Hypertension* / epidemiology
  • Hypertension* / therapy
  • Latin America / epidemiology
  • Mexico
  • Universal Health Insurance*