Comorbidities

To identify comorbidities, a lot of data from many affected individuals is needed.

A study from 2017 analyzed data from German health insurance companies for the period 2008-2013.

Study: Greulich, T. et al.: The prevalence of diagnosed (1-antitrypsin deficiency and its comorbidities: results from a large population-based database. In: European Respiratory Journal, 2017, 49

Published in Pneumology, 2017, 71(08): 497 Manych, M.: Prevalence and comorbidities of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency in Germany.
Greulich et al. compared the AATM group with non-AATM patients who suffered from COPD, emphysema, or asthma.

The resultThe three most common of all the accompanying diseases considered were high blood pressure, depression and diabetes.
Furthermore, a comparison was made to determine whether certain comorbidities occur more frequently in people with AAT deficiency than in those with conditions such as COPD and emphysema. The result: Compared to COPD patients, those with AAT deficiency had significantly more osteoporosis. Compared to people with pulmonary emphysema, the incidence of hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease was significantly higher.

Compared to COPD patients, Alpha-1 deficiency patients visited the doctor significantly more often and also had more and longer hospital stays.