PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- It’s difficult enough to deal
with just one chronic disease and then you add another, often more serious one
on top of it. Researchers are learning more and more about why two diseases that
don’t seem to be related at all travel in pairs. These are some common shadow
diseases that you need to know about.
Sam Jonas has psoriasis, a skin disease that leaves scaly patches on his body.
"It can be very embarrassing," Jonas told Ivanhoe.
In 2006, Sam also had a heart attack. Until now, he didn’t know the two
conditions were linked.
"Very surprised. I had no idea," Jonas explained.
Dr. David Ancona says psoriasis can double the risk of a heart attack.
"There are diseases that exist that, for some reason or another, seem to follow
one another like a shadow," Dr. Ancona, FACC cardiologist at Memorial Hospital
West in Pembroke Pines, Fla., said.
One study showed women with endometriosis are 62 percent more likely to develop
melanoma.
"It’s becoming more clear to us that these diseases don’t exist in isolation."
Dr. Ancona said.
What’s less clear is why some diseases shadow others. "Certain diseases might be
genetically linked," Dr. Ancona explained.
Having just one migraine a month gives you a 50 percent higher risk of a heart
attack. Having one a week gives you four-times the risk of a stroke. And having
three of the five traits linked to metabolic syndrome ups the risk of kidney
stones.
"The benefit of the patient knowing that they could be at risk for another
disease would be that they’d be evaluated for that other disease," Dr. Ancona
added.
Sam wishes he knew psoriasis raised his heart attack risk. "Had I known that at
that time, I probably would have gotten a stress test much earlier," Jonas said.
That step might have saved his heart. Instead, he’ll take daily drugs to treat
both conditions.
Having either psoriasis or insomnia increases the chance of developing diabetes,
and research shows nearly 50 percent of people with asthma also have a
psychological condition like depression.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Marla Oxenhandler, Media Relations Specialist
Memorial Healthcare System
Hollywood, FL
(954) 265-5465
