Abstract P008: Have Trends in Preventable Hospitalizations Related to Hypertension Decreased Among Elderly Americans? Results From National Inpatient Sample, 2005-2014

Introduction: As number of elderly Americans is projected to double by 2050, population aged ≥65 years will have the highest impact on Medicare spending. The prevalence of elderly population with hypertension (HTN) is around 65% and if patients receive good primary care or an early intervention, these HTN related hospitalizations could be prevented saving millions in Medicare spending. Our objective was to examine the trends in hospitalizations related to HTN and total cost over 10 years among aged ≥65 years. Methods: Using data from Nationwide Inpatient Sample database from 2005-2014, we explored the existence of trends in HTN admission rates and corresponding hospitalization costs among adults ≥65 years vs other age groups. Weighted estimates for rates and mean total cost were reported using SUDAAN after adjusting for complex survey design. Results: Overall, hospitalizations due to HTN increased by 26% in 2014 from 2005. Hospitalizations were highest among patients ≥65 years (57.8%) followed by 40-64 (32.6%) and 18-39 years (9.6%). During 2005-2014, hospitalization rates among ≥65 years increased significantly (10.7%, p p Conclusion: Hospitalizations and costs associated with HTN, especially Medicare, have increased over the past 10 years among elderly. Although these trends are alarming, these events could be prevented through symptom management at primary care, medication adherence, care coordination, or modifying care-seeking behavior resulting in potential savings of 851M over a year. This would reduce burden of Medicare spending, which is projected to surpass the rate of growth in federal revenues.