Perhaps you have never heard the term comorbidities before, but that doesn’t mean that you are unfamiliar with the concept. A comorbidity occurs when someone has more than one health issue. For example, when someone has high blood pressure and diabetes, these are considered to be comorbidities.
Unfortunately, one of the things that became very apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic was that those who suffer from multiple health issues are at a much higher risk of complications from things like the coronavirus. Even though the death rate in otherwise healthy individuals was very low for COVID, those who suffered from multiple health issues found themselves suffering from much more severe effects from the coronavirus. Comorbidities can drastically increase the likelihood that someone will struggle with an otherwise manageable illness or condition.
Gout is one of those medical conditions that can have complications along with it, specifically when it comes to cardiovascular illness. After a flare up of gout, this new research indicates that the risk of heart attack and stroke are increased in a statistically noticeable way in the four months following a flare up. The risk is doubled in the first 60 days after a flare up and increased by 1.5 times from 61 to 120 days afterward.
Gout is a chronic illness, but the symptoms are manageable through medication, diet, and other lifestyle changes. It is painful, as uric acid crystals are deposited within joints in the body, typically in the lower extremities. The crystals are needle shaped and can make movement very painful. When uric acid levels are high, these deposits are more concentrated and more painful. This is known as a flare up.
People with gout tend to be at higher risk of cardiovascular events to begin with. This study can help doctors and patients to identify when risk is higher so that lifestyle changes can be more of a priority and medical teams can be on higher alert.
The team is based out of the University of Nottingham. They published their findings in the journal, JAMA.
Regardless of the struggles that a loved one might be facing when it comes to securing the right senior care, having a team that is aware of your loved one’s health and is in communication with other team members about how they might better serve your family is important. Sometimes, a doctor will have one piece of information, a caregiver might have another, and there’s little or no communication between the two parties. When this barrier is erased, better health outcomes occur. When team members work together, there’s less of a chance that comorbidities can create preventable issues. There’s less of a likelihood that something that never should have happened in the first place will occur.
Getting a loved one connected to the right team is incredibly important. So much of good health comes from prevention.
That’s why we do what we do here at Paradise In-Home Care. A knowledgeable caregiver can make a world of difference in someone’s life, even if they’re not providing medical assistance. Call us to learn more.
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