Warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia in Taiwan: A population‐based study of epidemiology, treatment patterns, survival and healthcare utilisation (2017–2022)
10 affiliations
- 1Division of Hematology‐Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou Taoyuan Taiwan
- 2Research Services Center for Health Information Chang Gung University Taoyuan Taiwan
- 3Johnson & Johnson Singapore Singapore Singapore
- 4Johnson & Johnson Horsham Pennsylvania USA
- 5Johnson & Johnson Titusville New Jersey USA
- 6Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore
- 7School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences Taylor's University Malaysia Subang Jaya Malaysia
- 8Department of Artificial Intelligence Chang Gung University Taoyuan Taiwan
- 9Institute of Health Data Science Chang Gung University Taoyuan Taiwan
- 10Department of Biomedical Science Chang Gung University Taoyuan Taiwan
Abstract
To describe the epidemiology, treatment patterns, overall survival (OS) and healthcare resource use among patients with warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (wAIHA) in Taiwan, adult patients with ≥1 diagnosis code for autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) with record of wAIHA‐related treatments between 2017 and 2022 were retrospectively identified from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database linked with the National Death Registry and Taiwan Cancer Registry. The wAIHA incidence was 1.27 per 100 000 person‐years, and the 2022 prevalence was 4.58 per 100 000 persons. Corticosteroid monotherapy was the most common treatment across all lines, with 30.2% of patients remaining on corticosteroids 2 years after diagnosis. Blood transfusions were common in the first year following diagnosis, with 52.5% of patients receiving at least one emergency transfusion. The 5‐year OS probability, estimated using Kaplan–Meier analysis, was 67.1%. The median annualised medical cost was NT$ (New Taiwan dollar) 106 464 (interquartile range [IQR]: 49 088–285 856) or US$ (US dollar) 3327 (IQR: 1534–8933). Intensive care unit admissions were the primary cost driver (adjusted exponentiated coefficient: 2.76 [95% confidence interval: 2.26–3.36]), determined using a generalised linear model with a gamma distribution and log link function. Overall, significant unmet medical needs remain for wAIHA management in Taiwan, including addressing prolonged reliance on corticosteroids, sub‐optimal OS outcomes and high medical service use.
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BibTeX
@article{kao2026warm,
title = {{Warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia in Taiwan: A population‐based study of epidemiology, treatment patterns, survival and healthcare utilisation (2017–2022)}},
author = {Hsiao‐Wen Kao and Shu‐Chen Chang and Dae Young Yu and Tse‐Chih Chou and I‐Ching Tsai and Ann Leon and Alexis Krumme and David Bin‐Chia Wu and Chee Jen Chang},
journal = {British Journal of Haematology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1111/bjh.70792},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/bjh.70792},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia in Taiwan: A population‐based study of epidemiology, treatment patterns, survival and healthcare utilisation (2017–2022)
AU - Hsiao‐Wen Kao
AU - Shu‐Chen Chang
AU - Dae Young Yu
AU - Tse‐Chih Chou
AU - I‐Ching Tsai
AU - Ann Leon
AU - Alexis Krumme
AU - David Bin‐Chia Wu
AU - Chee Jen Chang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/05
JO - British Journal of Haematology
DO - 10.1111/bjh.70792
UR - https://doi.org/10.1111/bjh.70792
AB - To describe the epidemiology, treatment patterns, overall survival (OS) and healthcare resource use among patients with warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (wAIHA) in Taiwan, adult patients with ≥1 diagnosis code for autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) with record of wAIHA‐related treatments between 2017 and 2022 were retrospectively identified from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database linked with the National Death Registry and Taiwan Cancer Registry. The wAIHA incidence was 1.27 per 100 000 person‐years, and the 2022 prevalence was 4.58 per 100 000 persons. Corticosteroid monotherapy was the most common treatment across all lines, with 30.2% of patients remaining on corticosteroids 2 years after diagnosis. Blood transfusions were common in the first year following diagnosis, with 52.5% of patients receiving at least one emergency transfusion. The 5‐year OS probability, estimated using Kaplan–Meier analysis, was 67.1%. The median annualised medical cost was NT$ (New Taiwan dollar) 106 464 (interquartile range [IQR]: 49 088–285 856) or US$ (US dollar) 3327 (IQR: 1534–8933). Intensive care unit admissions were the primary cost driver (adjusted exponentiated coefficient: 2.76 [95% confidence interval: 2.26–3.36]), determined using a generalised linear model with a gamma distribution and log link function. Overall, significant unmet medical needs remain for wAIHA management in Taiwan, including addressing prolonged reliance on corticosteroids, sub‐optimal OS outcomes and high medical service use.
SN - 0007-1048
SN - 1365-2141
ER -