The Burden of Disease in Germany at the National and Regional Level.

BACKGROUND: .Summary measures such as disability-adjusted life years (DALY) are becoming increasingly important for the standardized assessment of the burden of disease due to death and disability. The BURDEN 2020 pilot project was designed as an independent burden-of-disease study for Germany, which was based on nationwide data, but which also yielded regional estimates. METHODS: DALY is defined as the sum of years of life lost due to death (YLL) and years lived with disability (YLD). YLL is the difference between the age at death due to disease and the remaining life expectancy at this age, while YLD quantifies the number of years individuals have spent with health impairments. Data are derived mainly from causes of death statistics, population health surveys, and claims data from health insurers. RESULTS: In 2017, there were approximately 12 million DALY in Germany, or 14 584 DALY per 100 000 inhabitants. Conditions which caused the greatest number of DALY were coronary heart disease (2321 DALY), low back pain (1735 DALY), and lung cancer (1197 DALY). Headache and dementia accounted for a greater disease burden in women than in men, while lung cancer and alcohol use disorders accounted for a greater disease burden in men than in women. Pain disorders and alcohol use disorders were the leading causes of DALY among young adults of both sexes. The disease burden rose with age for some diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, dementia, and diabetes mellitus. For some diseases and conditions, the disease burden varied by geographical region. CONCLUSION: The results indicate a need for age- and sex-specific prevention and for differing interventions according to geographic region. Burden of disease studies yield comprehensive population health surveillance data and are a useful aid to decision-making in health policy.

Estimating the impact of tax policy interventions on the projected number and prevalence of adults with type 2 diabetes in Germany between 2020 and 2040.

INTRODUCTION: As a population-wide intervention, it has been proposed to raise taxes on unhealthy products to prevent diseases such as type 2 diabetes. In this study, we aimed to estimate the effect of tax policy interventions in 2020 on the projected prevalence and number of people with type 2 diabetes in the German adult population in 2040. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We applied an illness-death model and the German Diabetes Risk Score (GDRS) to project the prevalence and number of adults with type 2 diabetes in Germany under a base case scenario and under a tax policy intervention scenario. For the base case scenario, we assumed constant age-specific incidence rates between 2020 and 2040. For the intervention scenario, we assumed a 50% price increase for sugar-sweetened beverages, tobacco and red meat products in the year 2020. Based on price elasticities, we estimated the impact on these risk factors alone and in combination, and calculated subsequent reductions in the age-specific and sex-specific GDRS. These reductions were used to determine reductions in the incidence rate and prevalence using a partial differential equation. RESULTS: Compared with the base case scenario, combined tax interventions in 2020 resulted in a 0.95 percentage point decrease in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (16.2% vs 17.1%), which corresponds to 640 000 fewer prevalent cases of type 2 diabetes and a relative reduction by 6%. CONCLUSIONS: Taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages, tobacco products and red meat by 50% modestly lowered the projected number and prevalence of adults with type 2 diabetes in Germany in 2040. Raising taxes on unhealthy products as a stand-alone measure may not be enough to attenuate the future rise of type 2 diabetes.

Excess mortality in adults with documented diabetes in Germany: routine data analysis of all insurance claims in Germany 2013-2014.

OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the age-specific excess mortality pattern of people with diagnosed diabetes in Germany. Thus, our goal was to determine the excess mortality in diagnosed diabetes overall and stratified by age and sex based on claims data. DESIGN: Routine data analysis using a claims dataset from all statutory health-insured persons in Germany in 2013, which accounts for about 90% of the population. PARTICIPANTS: We included persons who lived in Germany, were insured at least 360 days, were not self-paying any health services and were aged 30 years or older leading to a total number of 47.3 million insured persons for analyses. EXPOSURE: Diabetes was determined by the International Classification of Diseases-10 codes E10-E14, which were documented in 2013 in at least two-quarters on an outpatient setting or at least once on an inpatient setting. OUTCOME MEASURES: The vital status in the study population was drawn from the claims dataset for the year 2014. We derived the excess mortality estimated as an age-adjusted mortality rate ratio (MRR) by sex and for age groups using a Poisson model. MAIN RESULTS: We found age-adjusted MRRs (95% CI) for diabetes of 1.52 (1.51 to 1.52) for women and 1.56 (1.56 to 1.56) for men. These figures declined with increasing age and were highest for ages 30-34 years with 6.76 (4.99 to 9.15) for women and 6.87 (5.46 to 8.64) for men, and lowest for age 95 years and older with 1.13 (1.10 to 1.15) for women and 1.11 (1.05 to 1.17) for men. CONCLUSIONS: We derived deeply age-stratified figures on excess mortality in diabetes for Germany. Establishing a sustainable analysis of excess mortality is aimed at within the framework of diabetes surveillance.

[Estimating prevalent microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus in Germany. Analysis of statutory health insurance data in 2012 and 2013]. / Einschätzungen zur Prävalenz mikrovaskulärer Folgeerkrankungen bei Diabetes mellitus in Deutschland. Analyse von Versichertendaten aller gesetzlichen Krankenkassen für die Jahre 2012 und 2013.

BACKGROUND: Data sources for the systematic and ongoing analysis of prevalence of microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus are limited in Germany. For the first time, we estimated the complications prevalence based on claims data of all statutory health insurance (SHI) providers according to the Data Transparency Act. METHODS: Health claims data of the reporting years 2012 and 2013 were analyzed. The reference population was identified as insured persons with a diabetes diagnosis according to the international classification of disease. Diabetes was defined as documentation of at least two confirmed diabetes diagnoses in an outpatient setting or one diagnosis in an inpatient setting (ICD codes E10-E14). Complications were defined based on the following ICD codes: nephropathy (N08.3), retinopathy (H36.0), polyneuropathy (G63.2), diabetic foot syndrome (DFS; E10-14.74, E10-14.75), chronic kidney disease (N18.-), and treatment with dialysis (Z49.1, Z49.2, Z99.2). Results were compared to prevalence estimates based on routine data and registries in Germany and abroad. RESULTS: In 2013, diabetes was documented for 6.6 million persons with SHI (2012: 6.5 million). In 2013, chronic kidney disease (15.0%) was the most frequent complication, followed by diabetic polyneuropathy (13.5%), nephropathy (7.6%), retinopathy (7.0%), DFS (6.1%), and treatment with dialysis (0.56%). While results for diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, and polyneuropathy are lower than prevalence estimates from other type 2 diabetes studies, they are comparable for chronic kidney disease, treatment with dialysis, and DFS. CONCLUSION: Continuous analysis of health claims data is highly valuable for the diabetes surveillance. However, detailed analyses are required for verification and harmonization of case definitions and documentation practice.

Indicator-based public health monitoring in old age in OECD member countries: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: The scoping review was conducted as part of the project "Improving Health Monitoring in Old Age" (IMOA) which aims at developing a conceptual framework with key indicators for a public health monitoring of the population aged 65 years and older in Germany. We systematically identified indicator-based monitoring systems that focus on health and wellbeing of older populations in member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and analysed them with regard to structure, development and content. METHODS: A systematic search strategy included searching the websites of national public health institutes, an additional internet search and a MEDLINE search via PubMed. Indicator systems were included if they presented data on a national level, if they were published or updated after 01/01/2007, if they relied on more than one data source and if they were available in English or German. Data on the structure and development of the indicator sets were extracted using a standardized documentation form, and a content analysis of the indicators was conducted using a pre-defined conceptual framework with three health areas and 11 health domains that is based on the Worlds Health Organization's "World Report on Ageing and Health" and on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). RESULTS: Ten indicator-based monitoring systems met our inclusion criteria. Of these, six systems focused exclusively on older populations, and four offer a specific subset of indicators for older age. The number of indicators varied between 22 and 53 (median 32.5). Four systems were directly related to national public health or healthy ageing strategies, and two systems had been developed in consensus processes involving multiple stakeholders. The highest numbers of indicators could be assigned to the domains "health care", "nursing and community care", "wealth and poverty" and "physical health". Overall, 47 different concepts could be identified in the monitoring systems. CONCLUSION: Among indicator-based monitoring systems of health in older age identified in member countries of the OECD, there is considerable variation with regard to structure, development and content. The results will inspire the development of a public health monitoring of the older population in Germany.

Social inequality and diabetes mellitus - developments over time among the adult population in Germany.

The connection between social disadvantage and the presence of known diabetes and specific risk factors is well documented. This article summarises the results from the Robert Koch Institute examination surveys that were conducted between 1997 and 1999 as well as 2008 and 2011 to address social inequality - operationalised by level of education - with regard to prevalences of known and unknown diabetes, risk of diabetes and care of diabetes as well as their development over time. Both survey periods showed that the low education group has higher prevalences of known and unkown diabetes as well as a higher risk of developing diabetes within the next five years compared to the medium and high education group. Over time, prevalence tended to increase for known diabetes and to decrease for unknown diabetes for all education groups. For the 5-year diabetes risk, only the high education group showed a clear decrease over time. The chosen indicators of diabetes care indicated no clear differences between education groups and an improvement of diabetes care over time. For some indicators of care (foot examination, statins), improvements were only seen in the low education group. In conclusion, social inequalities in the prevalence of known and unknown diabetes as well as in diabetes risk remain in Germany; for the indicators of care, however, no clear education gradient is evident. Over time, inequality regarding the prevalence of diabetes has not increased further. However, with regard to diabetes risk, inequality has become slightly more evident. For individual care indicators, improvements are limited to specific education groups.

The selection and definition of indicators in public health monitoring for the 65+ age group in Germany.

Selecting relevant indicators is an important step in the development of public health monitoring for older people. Indicators can be used to combine information comprehensively from various data sources and enable recurring, comparable findings to be made about the health of older people. Indicators were systematically compiled from existing international monitoring systems. An indicator set on health in old age was developed using a multistage, structured consensus-based process together with an interdisciplinary panel of experts. The resulting 18 indicators were assigned to three health areas: (1) environmental factors, (2) activities and participation, and (3) personal factors. Data sources that can be used for the indicators are the health surveys within the framework of the Robert Koch Institute's (RKI) health monitoring system, as well as surveys from other research institutes and official statistics. In the future, the indicator set is to be developed further and integrated into an overall approach that is geared towards health reporting and the monitoring of chronic diseases in all phases of life.

A novel superior medication-based chronic disease score predicted all-cause mortality in independent geriatric cohorts.

OBJECTIVES: On the basis of current treatment guidelines, we developed and validated a medication-based chronic disease score (medCDS) and tested its association with all-cause mortality of older outpatients. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Considering the most prevalent chronic diseases in the elderly German population, we compiled a list of evidence-based medicines used to treat these disorders. Based on this list, a score (medCDS) was developed to predict mortality using data of a large longitudinal cohort of older outpatients (training sample; MultiCare Cohort Study). By assessing receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curves, the performance of medCDS was then confirmed in independent cohorts (ESTHER, KORA-Age) of community-dwelling older patients and compared with already existing medication-based scores and a score using selected anatomical-therapeutic-chemical (ATC) codes. RESULTS: The final medCDS score had an ROC area under the curve (AUC) of 0.73 (95% CI 0.70-0.76). In the validation cohorts, its ROC AUCs were 0.79 (0.76-0.82, KORA-Age) and 0.74 (0.71-0.78, ESTHER), which were superior to already existing medication-based scores (RxRisk, CDS) and scores based on pharmacological ATC code subgroups (ATC3) or age and sex alone (Age&Sex). CONCLUSIONS: A new medCDS, which is based on actual treatment standards, predicts mortality of older outpatients significantly better than already existing scores.

BURDEN 2020-Burden of disease in Germany at the national and regional level.

BACKGROUND: Evidence-based policy measures need non-interest-guided information about the health status of a population and the diseases that affect the population the most. In such cases, a national burden of disease study can provide reliable insights at the regional level. AIM: This article presents the potential of the BURDEN 2020 project and its expected outcome for Germany at the national and regional level. METHODS: The BURDEN 2020 project uses several indicators including years of life lost (YLL) to cover the impact of mortality and years lived with disability (YLD) to cover morbidity. The sum of both is the measure of population health called disability adjusted life years (DALY). RESULTS: The study ranks individual diseases and risk factors based on their impact on population health. The burden of disease approach is assumed to be sensitive to subnational differences and may generate immediate benefits for regional planning. The BURDEN 2020 study will pilot a national burden of disease study for Germany that will later be transformed into a continuous data processing and visualization tool. This is done by using, modifying and supplementing the methodology employed by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study to better fit the needs of health policy in Germany. This study is aimed at calculating the disease burden for up to 17 preselected diseases. Furthermore, the estimates of burden of disease are attributed to a selected set of risk factors. CONCLUSION: The Burden 2020 study will provide the results of a new, health-related data processing system to the public. This includes a noninterest-guided presentation of the burden of disease (DALY) in Germany at the national and regional level.

[Developing a framework for a public health monitoring of the population aged 65 years and older : Results of the IMOA workshop on concepts and indicators]. / Entwicklung eines Rahmenkonzepts für ein Public-Health-Monitoring der Bevölkerung ab 65 Jahren : Ergebnisse des IMOA-Workshops zu Konzepten und Indikatoren.

Main goal of the Improving Health Monitoring in Older Age (IMOA) project is to provide a framework for an indicator-based public health monitoring of the population aged 65 years and older. The workshop served as a forum to discuss and agree upon relevant concepts with gerontologists, nursing care and public health scientists.

All-cause mortality in adults with and without type 2 diabetes: findings from the national health monitoring in Germany.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate age-specific and sex-specific all-cause mortality among adults with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Germany. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The German National Health Interview and Examination Survey 1998 (GNHIES98) included a mortality follow-up (median follow-up time 12.0 years) of its nationwide sample representative of the population aged 18-79 years. After exclusion of participants with type 1 diabetes, age- and sex-stratified mortality rates (MR) were calculated for 330 GNHIES98 participants with diagnosed T2D (self-reported diagnosis or antidiabetic medication), 245 with undiagnosed T2D (no diagnosed T2D, glycated hemoglobin A1c ≥6.5% (≥48 mmol/mol)), and 5975 without T2D. Mortality rate ratios (MRR) comparing MR of persons with and without T2D were estimated. Age-/sex-standardized MR and MRR were calculated including persons aged 45 years or older. MRR were used to estimate the number of years of life lost (YLL) due to diagnosed diabetes in 2010. RESULTS: Over 75 994 person-years, 73 persons with undiagnosed T2D, 103 with diagnosed T2D, and 425 persons without T2D died. MRR were significantly higher in younger age groups, except for analyses limited to women or diagnosed T2D. Age- and sex-standardized MRR (95% CI) among persons aged 45 years or older were 1.96 (1.41 to 2.71) for undiagnosed, 1.68 (1.26 to 2.23) for diagnosed, and 1.82 (1.45 to 2.28) for total (undiagnosed or diagnosed) T2D. Sex-stratified analysis revealed similar age-standardized MRR for undiagnosed (1.56 (0.79 to 3.06)) and diagnosed T2D (1.56 (1.03 to 2.37)) among women, and a higher age-standardized MRR for undiagnosed (2.06 (1.43 to 2.97)) than diagnosed T2D (1.70 (1.10 to 2.63)) among men. YLL due to diagnosed diabetes in Germany in 2010 were 164 600 (35 000 to 279 300) among women and 169 900 (28 300 to 328 300) among men. CONCLUSIONS: In Germany, age- and sex-standardized all-cause mortality is almost twice as high for adults with T2D as for adults without T2D. The T2D-associated excess risk of mortality appears to be most pronounced in younger adults and among men unaware of their T2D.

Trends in disease burden in Germany: results, implications and limitations of the Global Burden of Disease study.

BACKGROUND: The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study is designed to give a comprehensive and standardized assessment of the health of populations around the world. It measures the burden of disease by considering years of life lost due to premature death as well as years lived with disability. The findings enable the identification of secular trends and disparities between countries and can serve as a basis for decision-making in health policy. METHOD: In cooperation with the authors of the GBD study, we summarize the key methods used to assess the burden of disease in terms of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). We present findings that specifically pertain to Germany, drawn from freely available data of the most recent round of analysis for the years 1990 and 2010. RESULTS: According to the GBD study, life expectancy in Germany rose from 75.4 years in 1990 to 80.2 years in 2010. Ischemic heart disease and back pain caused the largest number of DALYs lost (2.5 million and 2.1 million, respectively). Over the period of the study, the absolute number of DALYs due to ischemic heart disease dropped by 33%, while the number of DALYs due to low back pain rose by 11%. Nutrition-related risks ranked first among all risk factors considered, accounting for 13.8% of total DALYs, followed by high blood pressure and high body-mass index, accounting for 10.9% each. CONCLUSION: In Germany, important changes have been seen over time in the burden of disease attributable to different chronic diseases. Some of these changes reflect the successful interventions of the past, while others indicate a need for new action. The data from Germany that went into the GBD study must be systematically assessed and supplemented by further data relating to questions of specific relevance in this country.

German health interview and examination survey for adults (DEGS) - design, objectives and implementation of the first data collection wave.

BACKGROUND: The German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults (DEGS) is part of the recently established national health monitoring conducted by the Robert Koch Institute. DEGS combines a nationally representative periodic health survey and a longitudinal study based on follow-up of survey participants. Funding is provided by the German Ministry of Health and supplemented for specific research topics from other sources. METHODS/DESIGN: The first DEGS wave of data collection (DEGS1) extended from November 2008 to December 2011. Overall, 8152 men and women participated. Of these, 3959 persons already participated in the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey 1998 (GNHIES98) at which time they were 18-79 years of age. Another 4193 persons 18-79 years of age were recruited for DEGS1 in 2008-2011 based on two-stage stratified random sampling from local population registries. Health data and context variables were collected using standardized computer assisted personal interviews, self-administered questionnaires, and standardized measurements and tests. In order to keep survey results representative for the population aged 18-79 years, results will be weighted by survey-specific weighting factors considering sampling and drop-out probabilities as well as deviations between the design-weighted net sample and German population statistics 2010. DISCUSSION: DEGS aims to establish a nationally representative data base on health of adults in Germany. This health data platform will be used for continuous health reporting and health care research. The results will help to support health policy planning and evaluation. Repeated cross-sectional surveys will permit analyses of time trends in morbidity, functional capacity levels, disability, and health risks and resources. Follow-up of study participants will provide the opportunity to study trajectories of health and disability. A special focus lies on chronic diseases including asthma, allergies, cardiovascular conditions, diabetes mellitus, and musculoskeletal diseases. Other core topics include vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization status, nutritional deficiencies, health in older age, and the association between health-related behavior and mental health.

HuSKY: a healthy nutrition score based on food intake of children and adolescents in Germany.

For many epidemiological questions an overall indicator of healthy nutrition can be useful. Based on the data from the FFQ of the German Health Interview and Examination Study for children and adolescents (KiGGS) we developed a healthy nutrition score based on a comparison with current recommendations for children and adolescents. We observed independent and statistically significant relationships between the nutrition score and age, sex, socio-economic status, immigration background, level of urbanisation and residence in former East v. former West Germany. Furthermore, the nutrition score was statistically significantly related to serum concentrations of homocysteine (inverse association) and folate (positive associations). The construction of a healthy nutrition score appears to be useful for several reasons. For instance, our score can be used to summarise an abundance of dietary information to a single measure, to get an overall impression of diets of individuals or groups, which can be useful to detect certain risk groups.

Health care utilisation and quality of life in individuals with diabetes and comorbid mental disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of comorbid mental disorders with health care utilisation and quality of life (QoL) in persons with diabetes (PWD). METHOD: Data were drawn from the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey (GNHIES). Mental disorders in PWD (n=146) were assessed by means of a standardised clinical interview for mental disorders (M-CIDI). Health care utilisation was assessed by using self-report questionnaires and QoL by using the SF-36. RESULTS: Controlling for age and sex, mental comorbidity was significantly associated with reduced QoL scores on all SF-36 subscales, except for "bodily pain". The frequency of physician visits was (insignificantly) higher in PWD with mental disorders compared to PWD without (20.7 vs. 14.4). Among PWD with mental disorders (n=40), only seven individuals reported mental health specialist visits. Mental comorbidity was not associated with hospitalisation days, disability days or utilisation of diabetes-related preventive services. CONCLUSIONS: Comorbid mental disorders were found to be associated with lowered psychosocial and physical aspects of QoL in a nationally representative sample of PWD. Associations with health care utilisation were less consistent. The low rate of mental health specialist visits in PWD with comorbid mental disorders may indicate an under-use of appropriate health care services.

[Health care needs of children and adolescents with chronic conditions]. / Versorgungsbedarf chronisch kranker Kinder und Jugendlicher.

Using data from the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS), we studied the association between chronic health conditions and specific health care needs among children and adolescents in Germany. A chronic health condition was defined based on standardized parent questionnaires and computer-assisted parent interviews regarding any lasting illness or health problem, congenital malformation or officially recognized disability. As part of the parent questionnaire, the validated German version of the Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) screener was used to assess special health care needs. Overall, 38.7% of the study population had at least one chronic health condition, as compared to 73.0% of children and adolescents who were identified as having specific health care needs. Only 25.8% of children and adolescents with chronic health conditions were found to have any special health care needs. However, this proportion varied considerably according to the type of health condition. Overall 3.7% of study participants screened positive for special health care needs, while no specific chronic health condition was reported by their parents. In multiple logistic regression analyses, factors independently associated with the absence of perceived health care needs among children and adolescents with chronic health conditions included female gender, migration background, a lower socioeconomic status, residence in former West Germany, a lower number of concomitant health problems, and the absence of behavioural problems. The identification of special health care needs among children and adolescents without any reported chronic health condition was determined by male gender, having no migration background, and evidence of behavioural problems. Further analyses are necessary to elucidate the relationship between chronic health conditions and health care needs among children and adolescents. These need to focus on specific health conditions and should include additional information on health-related quality of life, health care services use, and psychosocial resources.

Differences in menopausal hormone therapy use among women in Germany between 1998 and 2003.

BACKGROUND: To examine the differences in menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) use and user profiles among women in Germany before and after the communication of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trial and other study results concerning the risks and benefits of MHT. METHODS: Current MHT use was ascertained in two periodic German national health surveys conducted in 1997-1999 and 2003-2004. MHT prevalence and user profiles were assessed within each survey. The association of the survey period (2003-2004 vs. 1997-1999) with current MHT use was analyzed in weighted multivariable logistic regression (MLR) models, pooling data from both surveys. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of current MHT use decreased by 40.2% from 16.9% of the sample in 1997-1999 to 10.1% in 2003-2004. The difference in prevalence between surveys varied with age decade with the smallest decreases among women 60-69 years of age (20.3% vs. 18.5%), compared to women of younger and older age groups (40-49: 10.7% vs. 3.9%; 50-59: 36.3% vs. 21.3%; 70-79: 5.7% vs. 3.2%). Variables independently associated with higher current MHT use in both health surveys included age category (curvilinear relationship with highest use among women 50-59 years) and residence in West vs. East Germany. A higher social status, lower body mass index, and more health-conscious behaviour were significantly associated with higher current MHT use in the 1997-1999 survey, but these associations were not found in the later survey. MLR analyses confirmed a significant decline in MHT use between the 1997-1999 and 2003-2004 surveys, however, the effect was modified by social status and was not significant among lowest social-status women. CONCLUSION: Current MHT use considerably declined among women in Germany between the pre- and post-WHI era. A convergence of current MHT use among women of higher social status with pre-existing patterns of use among lower social-status women suggests that MHT in Germany is now less likely to be used for health promotion.