People with two or more chronic conditions 20 times more likely to be disabled
Date published:
Wednesday, November 2, 2011News source:
CARDIRegion:
Republic of Ireland Northern Ireland
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Over 75s, those living alone and lower socio-economic groups most at risk
New research funded by the Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI) finds that people suffering from two or more chronic conditions are 20 times more likely to report disability than those with none. The study examines the prevalence of two or more chronic conditions, known as multimorbidity, and its impact on quality of life and disability in older people.
The research led by Dr George Savva, Trinity College Dublin finds that people with multimorbidity are more than six times as likely to report poor quality of life. It finds that people in higher socio-economic groups showed evidence of being more protected from the effects of chronic disease than those in the lower groups. People over 75 and those living alone are also more likely to report multimorbidity, and are slightly more likely to report a single chronic disease.
Dr Savva said “This research underlines the importance of examining the prevalence of chronic conditions and understanding the risk factors which cause older people to suffer from more than two. One of the most significant findings was that those reporting two or more chronic conditions are nearly 20 times as likely to report disability as people with no chronic conditions. This shows the profound effect of conditions such as diabetes, musculoskeletal pain and angina on older populations. More research into understanding how suffering from multiple chronic conditions can affect people’s lives and how best to support them is needed as a matter of urgency”.
The research Multimorbidity and Disability in the Older Population of Ireland, studied eight chronic conditions: cancer; heart attack; angina; stroke; diabetes; asthma; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and musculoskeletal pain (including rheumatism, arthritis and back pain).
Musculoskeletal pain was the most widely reported condition across the island with a prevalence of 40%, followed by diabetes (7%) and angina (6%). Asthma and COPD have the same levels of prevalence, 5%, while cancer and stroke were reported less frequently (1-2%).
The study also revealed some clear differences in the prevalence of chronic diseases between ROI and NI. Angina was reported far more frequently in NI, 10% compared to 4% in ROI. So too was musculoskeletal pain, 55% compared to 35% in ROI while asthma was reported more frequently in ROI, 6% compared to 3% in NI.
Professor Bob Stout, co-chair of CARDI said, “This important study from Dr Savva and his team shows that on the island of Ireland multimorbidity is widespread and can be linked to negative effects on self-rated health, disability and quality of life. It highlights the importance of longitudinal studies across the island of Ireland to understand the causal relationships in multimorbidity, and of good clinical practice in its management.”
Download the research brief: Multimorbidity in the older population
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