Clinical and economic outcomes of patients with cardiorenal and metabolic diseases: a real-world analysis in a single Italian Local Health Unit.

Abstract

Background: This single-center real-world analysis describes the epidemiology, demographic and clinical characteristics, mortality, and therapeutic-care management of patients grouped by the presence of seven cardiorenal and metabolic diseases.

Research design and methods: From the administrative databases of a single Local Health Unit in Southern Italy with approximately 400,000 inhabitants, the following cohorts were identified during 2020-2021: (1) type 1 diabetes (T1D); (2) type 2 diabetes (T2D); (3) heart failure (HF); (4) chronic kidney disease (CKD); (5) hyperkalemia (HK); (6) nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); (7) dyslipidemia. The variables examined for each cohort were: prevalence, demographic and clinical data, comorbidity profile, biochemical tests, hospitalization rates, therapies, 1-year all-cause mortality.

Results: From a cohorts overview, the population with cardiorenal and metabolic diseases was characterized by a high proportion of elderly subjects, a relatively high rate of all-cause hospitalizations and elevated mortality. The analysis of the comorbidity pattern in each group confirmed the interrelation of these pathologies, with diabetes, dyslipidemia, and CKD as the most common concomitant conditions.

Conclusions: From these real-world data, patients with cardiorenal and metabolic diseases emerge as a fragile population, with multimorbidity, and a substantial risk of hospitalizations and death, confirming as chronicity represent a priority issue for health systems.