A study published this month in BMJ Open by researchers at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai proposes a novel method for identifying patterns in the frequency and cost of multiple chronic conditions (MCC).
A study published this month in BMJ Open by researchers at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai proposes a novel method for identifying patterns in the frequency and cost of multiple chronic conditions (MCC).
Researchers examined Medicaid claims data for 190,000 patients in the Mount Sinai Health System between 2012 and 2014. In this cohort, 61 percent of patients had MCC—the presence of two or more chronic conditions in one individual—a level far higher than in the U.S. general population (42 percent).
Using a segmented methodology, the study found that high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes were the most common triplet of chronic conditions, and women aged 50 to 65 with high blood pressure and high cholesterol were the costliest segment overall. The most surprisingly common disease pair, relative to expectations, was lung disease and heart attacks. The study found that patients living in lower-income areas developed a second chronic condition 15 years earlier, on average, than their counterparts in higher-income areas.
By shedding light on several unexpected disease clusters and their costs, this work could inform new approaches for managing chronic conditions. The research was made possible with support from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.
Read more at The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine
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