In 2010, 87% of diabetes patients who visited an office-based physician had at least one additional chronic condition, the National Center for Health Statistics reported.
For diabetes patients under the age of 25 years, just over half (51%) of their visits involved patients who had two or more additional chronic conditions, and the number of conditions increased with age. Among those aged 25-44 years, 72% of visits in 2010 involved patients with two or more chronic conditions, according to the NCHS.
In the 45- to 64-year age group, 88% of visits were made by patients with two or more chronic conditions, with 36% involving patients who had four or more such conditions. Among those aged 65 years and over, 90% of visits by patients with diabetes were made by those with two or more additional chronic conditions, the NCHS report said.
The analysis was based on data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Information was collected on 13 other chronic conditions besides diabetes: arthritis, asthma, cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, coronary heart disease, depression, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, obesity, osteoporosis, and stroke.