Diabetes and cardiovascular disease

Program Lead

In Australia, 1 in 20 people are living with diabetes, and more than 1 in 20 people have one or more conditions related to heart, stroke or vascular disease. The health and economic burden of these conditions is substantial, affecting individuals, families, employers and governments. With improved diagnosed, more prevalent risk factors, and longer lifespans, the already significant impact of these conditions on the health and well-being of the population is likely to escalate.

Dr Ella Zomer brings her experience working with our School’s Centre of Cardiovascular Research and Education in Therapeutics, and the Diabetes Research team, to her work with our group. She aims to economically evaluate the burden of disease and benefits of interventions to better inform policy on evidence-based, cost-effective strategies for the prevention and management of these conditions, and deepen our understanding of the population impact of these conditions.

Her research program focusses mainly on conditions of the heart (including coronary heart disease and heart failure) and stroke, as well as type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, and associated risk factors. She undertakes the following types of research:

  • Trial-based economic evaluations – preventive and treatment interventions across various healthcare settings
  • Modelled economic evaluations – single or multiple interventions within the one study context using “hot-off-the-press” clinical trial data
  • Methodological challenges research – ensuring the techniques and methods we use are up-to-date, appropriate, and fit for purpose
  • Burden of disease studies – evaluating the current and future costs and disease burden, including the productivity impact

Research highlights

Pease AJ, Zoungas S, Callander E, Jones TW, Johnson SR, Holmes-Walker DJ, Bloom DE, Davis EA, Zomer E. Nationally Subsidized Continuous Glucose Monitoring: A Cost-effectiveness Analysis. Diabetes Care. 2022 Nov 1;45(11):2611-2619. doi: 10.2337/dc22-0951.

Savira F, Wang BH, Kompa AR, Ademi Z, Owen AJ, Zoungas S, Tonkin A, Liew D, Zomer E. Cost-effectiveness of dapagliflozin in chronic heart failure: an analysis from the Australian healthcare perspective. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. 2021 Aug 9;28(9):975-982. doi: 10.1177/2047487320938272.

Kumar R, Tonkin A, Liew D, Zomer E. The cost-effectiveness of PCSK9 inhibitors – The Australian healthcare perspective. International Journal of Cardiology. 2018 Sep 15;267:183-187. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2018.04.122.

Menon K, de Courten B, Liew D, Ademi Z, Owen AJ, Magliano DJ, Zomer E. Productivity Benefits of Preventing Type 2 Diabetes in Australia: A 10-Year Analysis. Diabetes Care. 2021 Mar;44(3):715-721. doi: 10.2337/dc20-1429.

Savira F, Ademi Z, Wang BH, Kompa AR, Owen AJ, Liew D, Zomer E. The Preventable Productivity Burden of Kidney Disease in Australia. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. 2021 Apr;32(4):938-949. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2020081148.

Pease A, Zomer E, Liew D, Lo C, Earnest A, Zoungas S. Cost-effectiveness of health technologies in adults with type 1 diabetes: a systematic review and narrative synthesis. Systematic Reviews. 2020 Aug 3;9(1):171. doi: 10.1186/s13643-020-01373-y.