Longer hospital stays due to heart failure in Eastern Germany
Thirty years after reunification, there are still significantly more hospital stays due to heart failure in Eastern Germany than in Western Germany. A new study tried to find out the possible reasons for this could be.
In a recent study, researchers have stays at the end of the Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, the differences in the hospital due to a heart weakness between East and West Germany broken down. This showed that in the East, a significantly higher proportion of people developed heart failure, according to the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) in a press release of the study results.
Changes in the incidence of heart failure in Eastern Germany
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The absolute number of hospitalizations associated with congestive heart failure in Germany has increased, according to the results of previous studies, between the year 2000 and the year 2013 by a staggering 65 percent. Despite a universally comparable health system, there was a lot more hospital stays due to heart failure in the Eastern part of Germany.
Differences in the health care system before reunification
Before the reunification of East and West Germany had very different Social and economic systems, but also different health systems. In Eastern Germany, the System was operated almost entirely by the state and there was a significant lack of technical equipment. Since 1990, however, the same health system and similar clinical care have been established paths, report the researchers from the University medicine Greifswald.
What a switch to a common health system caused?
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In the current study, it was investigated whether the change to a common health care system on the number and duration of hospital stays, and overall mortality in the hospital due to heart failure has impacted. In addition, it was analyzed whether the previously described increase in hospital admissions because of heart failure and whether it occurred in both Parts of Germany alike. Based on data from the years 2000 to 2017, were.
In East Germany there was a higher increase in
In the years 2000 to 2017, the absolute number of hospital admissions increased as a result of congestive heart failure in Germany continuously to 93.9 percent, the Team reported. The observed increase was in East Germany, however, significantly more ( to 118.5 percent in Eastern Germany compared to 88.3 percent in West Germany).
Heart failure: main cause of disease-related admissions
Congestive heart failure was the main cause for disease-related admissions to hospitals in Germany in the year 2017, again with significant Differences between East and West Germany (an increase of 1.5 per cent to 2.9 per cent in Eastern Germany, compared with 1.4 per cent to 2.2 per cent in West Germany). The total duration of hospital stays decreased in the course of time continuously, the total number of heart failure-related hospital days increased in Eastern Germany but by 50.6 per cent and in West Germany by 34.6 percent.
More deaths due to heart failure in Eastern Germany
In the year 2017, the heart failure remained with a share of 8.2 percent of the deaths in the hospital are by far the most common cause of death in Germany. Here, too, the Rates of inpatient deaths in East Germany (64 and 65 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in the years 2000 and 2017) were compared to West Germany (39 or 43 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in the years 2000 and 2017, respectively) is significantly higher.
What is the influence of the average age had?
The differences observed could not be due to the different age structures in the East and the West to explain. The average age of the population in East Germany was four years higher than in West Germany, but the differences in the heart failure-related parameters after standardization for age is similar.
Other diseases occur more frequently in Eastern Germany
A possible explanation for the findings might lie in the different Rate of risk factors, which fall short of the emergence and the progression of heart failure, influence, report the researchers. Other studies have already shown that hypertension, Diabetes, and obesity occur in Eastern Germany much more often than in West Germany.
In addition to still existing differences in the structure of the patient care may, according to the researchers, at least in part, a Declaration of offer.
Further investigation is needed
Further research is needed to understand the observed differences between East and West Germany. In addition, it should be investigated whether similar regional differences occur also in other European countries. Ultimately, the goal must be to develop and implement effective solutions that improve care for heart failure in the whole of Europe, so the conclusion of Professor Marcus Dörr of the University medicine Greifswald. (as)