Shadow Diseases
Reported April 15, 2010
PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Its 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 dont 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 didnt 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.
“Its becoming more clear to us that these diseases dont exist in isolation.” Dr. Ancona said.
Whats 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 theyd 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, hell 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
