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Comorbidity in patients with cardiovascular disease in primary care: a cohort study with routine healthcare data
Josefien Buddeke1, Michiel L Bots1, Ineke van Dis2
1Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care.
Insights
Comorbid conditions are common in cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients, even young ones. Healthcare systems need adaptation to manage these complex cases effectively.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Cardiology
- General Practice
Background:
- Comorbidity presents a significant public health challenge, complicating single-disease-focused healthcare.
- Understanding frequent disease combinations in cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To overview common co-occurring diseases in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD).
- To analyze combinations of one or two additional chronic diseases in general practice patients with CVD.
Main Methods:
- Utilized medical records from 226,670 patients in Utrecht, Netherlands (2015-2016).
- Determined prevalences of comorbid conditions in heart failure, peripheral arterial disease (PAD), coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke populations.
- Employed logistic regression to assess the statistical significance of comorbidity prevalence in CVD patients versus controls.
Main Results:
- Low vision, diabetes mellitus, back/neck problems, osteoarthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cancer were the most prevalent non-CVD conditions.
- Diabetes, COPD, and low vision were significantly more prevalent across all four CVD types.
- Comorbidities were most frequent in heart failure and PAD patients, less so in CHD and stroke patients.
Conclusions:
- Comorbid conditions are highly prevalent in cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients, including younger individuals.
- Healthcare system adaptations are necessary for efficient and effective management of comorbid conditions in CVD patients.
Background:
Comorbidity is a major public health issue, which challenges health care configured around single diseases.
Aim:
To provide an overview of frequent disease combinations of one and two additional chronic diseases and groups among patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in general practice.
Design And Setting:
Medical record data from the Julius General Practitioners' Network of 226 670 patients registered in 2015-2016 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, were collected and examined.
Method:
Prevalences and combinations of one and two comorbid conditions were determined, by age and sex, in four populations of patients with CVD: heart failure, peripheral arterial disease (PAD), coronary heart disease (CHD), or stroke. Using logistic regression analyses, the authors examined whether comorbid conditions were significantly more prevalent in patients with a specific cardiovascular condition compared with those without.
Results:
Low vision, diabetes mellitus, back/neck problems, osteoarthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cancer were the most prevalent non-cardiovascular conditions and ranked in the top five of non-cardiovascular comorbid conditions in the different CVDs studied, irrespective of patient age and sex. Of these, diabetes, COPD, and low vision were statistically significantly more prevalent in all four cardiovascular conditions when compared with patients without the respective disease. Over the life span, the majority of the comorbid conditions were most prevalent in patients with heart failure, directly followed by those with PAD; they were less prevalent in patients with CHD and stroke.
Conclusion:
Comorbid conditions are very common in patients with CVD, even in younger age groups. To ensure efficient and effective treatment, organisational adaptations may be required in the healthcare system to accommodate comorbid conditions in patients with CVD.
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