Healthcare resource utilization and direct costs of transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients in Dubai, United Arab Emirates: a retrospective cost-of-illness study

Table 5 GLM using gamma distribution with a log-link model of the total direct medical costs

Parameter	Coef	Robust Std. Err	P >\|z\|	95% CI
Age	0.014	0.00	< 0.001	0.008 – 0.020
Sex
Female	-0.18	0.04	< 0.001	-0.26 – (-0.10)
ICT
DFX	0.50	0.07	< 0.001	0.37 – 0.63
Combined therapy (ref. DFO)	0.47	0.09	< 0.001	0.29 – 0.64
Disease type
Hemoglobin E/β-thalassemia (ref. β-thalassemia major)	-0.34	0.10	< 0.001	-0.53 – (-0.15)
Ferritin level
≥ 2000 ng/ml	0.11	0.05	0.016	0.02 – 0.20
Presence of complications
Yes	0.30	0.08	< 0.001	0.14 – 0.46

GLM generalized linear model, ICT iron chelation therapy, DFX deferasirox, DFO deferoxamine

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