Burden of disease and costs for the Unified Health System in Brazil due to diseases whose alcohol consumption is a necessary cause: an ecological study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to quantify the health and economic impacts of alcohol consumption in Brazil for 2019. STUDY DESIGN: Ecological study using secondary data sources. METHODS: We calculated the disease burden using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease study, which incorporated data from health surveys and hospital records. Costs were estimated based on direct expenses recorded in the Hospital and Outpatient Information System of the Unified Health System, with data by sex, age group, cause, and Federative Units. RESULTS: Alcohol consumption was a necessary cause for 30,355 deaths and approximately 1.69 million disability-adjusted life years in Brazil, representing 2.2% and 2.6% of the national totals, respectively. The impact was more pronounced among men, in the Northeast region and within the 40- to 64-year-old age group. The total costs attributed to these outcomes reached approximately Int$43.1 million, with hospital admissions accounting for 94.16% of these expenses. CONCLUSION: In 2019, alcohol consumption had a significant impact on both the health of Brazilians and the expenses of the health system. As a preventable risk factor, alcohol consumption necessitates effective intersectoral strategies to mitigate its burden.

Burden of non-communicable diseases attributed to alcohol consumption in 2019 for the Brazilian Unified Health System.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the health and economic burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) attributed to alcohol consumption in 2019 for the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) stratified by states. STUDY DESIGN: Observational, descriptive, and ecological study. METHODS: We used population attributable fractions (PAFs) of NCDs due to alcohol consumption from the Global Burden of Disease study. We applied the PAFs to the costs of hospitalizations and outpatient procedures of medium to high complexity paid by SUS for each outcome, obtained from official databases. We also calculated the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and mortality caused by alcohol-related NCDs. We converted the costs into international dollars (Int$) using the purchasing parity power in 2019. RESULTS: Alcohol-related NCDs accounted for 8.48% of deaths and 7.0% of DALYs among men, and 1.33% of deaths and 1.6% of DALYs among women. The main diseases were substance use, digestive, and neoplastic diseases. The SUS spent Int$202.0 million on alcohol-related NCDs, mostly on hospitalizations. The highest health burden was observed in the states of the Northeast region, and the highest expenses in the states from the South. The burden and cost values varied by sex, age group, and state. CONCLUSION: The study showed that alcohol consumption has a significant impact on Brazilian population morbidity and mortality and SUS expenditures, especially among men. These results can support policies for the prevention and control of alcohol consumption and health promotion at the subnational level, prioritizing strategies that are more appropriate to local realities.

Economic burden for the Unified Health System attributable to excessive sodium consumption in Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to estimate the economic costs of excessive sodium consumption in terms of hospitalizations and outpatient procedures of medium and high complexity (OPMHC) for the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) and its states in 2019. STUDY DESIGN: Ecological study. METHOD: This study used population attributable fractions (PAFs) of excessive sodium consumption estimated by the Global Burden of Disease study based on the theoretical minimum risk exposure level (3 g of sodium per day), the average population consumption, and relative risks of sodium-outcome pairs. PAFs were applied to the total costs of hospitalizations and OPMHC paid by SUS for each outcome obtained from the Outpatient and Hospital Information Systems. The costs per 10,000 inhabitants in all the Brazilian states were calculated and converted into international dollars (Int$), considering the purchasing parity power in the year 2019. RESULTS: Excessive sodium consumption resulted in Int$ 98,882,386.36 (95% uncertainty interval: Int$ 3,398,343.53-312,065,319.80) in hospitalizations and OPMHC costs in Brazil in 2019. Males and the 55- to 69-year-old age group had the highest expenditures attributable to excessive sodium consumption. Cardiovascular diseases were the most significant contributors to the costs associated with the risk factor. Southern and southeastern states had the highest costs of diseases attributable to sodium. CONCLUSION: Excessive sodium consumption has a significant economic burden on SUS, particularly among men and more developed states. This underscores the inequalities in socio-economic factors and access to health services throughout the country. Economic analyses at the subnational level can provide evidence for public policy planning to define the most appropriate actions for the population's sociodemographic reality.