East Germans suffer more from common diseases

In East Germany, people suffer more from so-called common diseases

01.09.2011

According to an evaluation by the health insurance company Barmer GEK, people in East Germany are increasingly suffering from so-called common diseases. In terms of area and population, heart and circulation ailments and metabolic disorders are significantly more common than in the West. In contrast, West Germans, in some regions, are more likely to suffer from mental disorders such as depression.

From a static point of view, 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, people in eastern Germany suffer from more serious illnesses than people in the western part of Germany. To collect the data, the cash register used its patient data of the approximately 8.4 million insured persons (12 percent of the German population). Statisticians compared the regional occurrence of about 80 diseases in the "Healthcare Current 2011" study, such as the cardiovascular system (heart attack, stroke), the psyche (depression) or the metabolism (diabetes). In summary, clear differences between East and West were identified. Residents in the federal state of Saxony, in particular in the regions of Halle and Schwerin, are especially vulnerable to illness-related illnesses, according to the data collection. By contrast, people are least prone to illness in southern Baden-Württemberg, especially in the Stuttgart and Ulm regions.

High age structure and fewer doctors
The main purpose of the study was to analyze why the differences are so significant. The main reason for the particular regional differences between East and West is essentially the age structure. In the last 10 to 20 years, especially young workers moved to the old federal states, because the job prospects are still better there. According to this, the average age of the entire population inevitably increased, especially in the states of Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg and Thuringia. However, the higher age of humans is not the only reason. Among those who turned their backs on the East are graduates and Germans with above-average income. According to the authors of the study, a "health migration" took place. Other studies on this topic have found in the past that income structure and education play a significant role in mortality and health risks. Those who have more money are generally healthier and more mobile. In addition, high earners have more influence on their "health chances" because they have more financial options at hand. Uwe Repschläger, publisher of the report and supreme Barmer controller, also came to a similar conclusion. In summary, education and household income have a significant impact on people's health.

In this context, the CEO of Barmer GEK, Christoph Straub, warned against poor health care in regions with many patients. "The place of residence must not determine the quality of care," says Straub. As a longer-term goal of the Barmer boss called to lift the territorial differences in the supply. Here, a targeted health policy is required.

More diabetics in East Germany
In eastern Germany, significantly more people suffer from the metabolic disease diabetes than in the West. Particularly prominent here is the state of Saxony-Anhalt. There are more complications in this state, such as diabetic neuropathy or kidney disease, than in the other federal states. The main focus is on Leipzig, Halle and Görlitz. In predominantly western federal states such as Lower Saxony, Hamburg or Baden-Württemberg, on average, the least diabetics live.

More frequent occurrence of heart attacks
Significantly more East Germans suffer from cardiovascular complaints in the national comparison. In the cities of Dessau, Cottbus and Halle, most patients suffer from a heart attack or have to fight high blood pressure. Higher values ​​in relation to circulatory diseases are also to be found in some regions of the Saarland, Bavaria and the Ruhr area. The least affected - measured by the German average - are the people in Schleswig-Holstein, southern Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Static abnormalities prepare the disproportionately existing East German households, in which only one person lives. Being alone not only promotes mental illness but also physical ailments. Here, the experts, in addition to the prevailing high average age, also a problem area.

Depression in the West
In the case of mental illness, however, a completely different picture emerges. Especially in large cities such as Hamburg, Berlin or Bremen were most often diagnosed mental illnesses such as depression or burn-out. An exception in the statistics is the state of Bavaria. Again, there is an increased rate of occurrence of depressive moods. However, the authors see the reason not in the population structure, but "an oversupply of psychologists and therapists." According to study author Repschläger, there are "more mental illnesses" in the Free State. Whether that is so, is only an assumption. The number of psychotherapists in Bavaria is only slightly above average compared to the rest of Germany. In addition, the supply density in cities such as Hamburg or Berlin is much higher.

More doctors more diagnoses
In essence, where more doctors are established with outpatient practices, more illnesses are also being treated and diagnosed. On the other hand, as already recognized by politics, there is an unequal distribution of supply. While, for example, physicians practice quasi side by side in cities, rural dwellers or East Germans sometimes have to cover kilometers to get medical treatment. The health insurance companies speak in this context of a "misuse", which runs through the entire federal territory. "In the big cities there are too many specialists and in the rural areas too few doctors," says the Chairman of the Barmer GEK. But: Germany is still one of the leading countries in European comparison when it comes to the health care of patients.

Alcoholics in the north
A surprising result of the evaluation is the fact that in the northern regions such as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania or Schleswig-Holstein above-average number of alcoholics live. Whether the partially predominant loneliness plays a role, can only be suspected. It is also possible that a connection between alcohol and the typical coastal occupations in the fishery and shipyards exists, as a spokesman for the health insurance meant. A real indication for this is not the analysis. To get to the root of the problem, in-depth research would need to be done. A bad signal is also seen in the multi-drug resistant bacteria (MRSA) in hospitals. Here, the infection rate has increased significantly. Many patients get stuck without showing typical symptoms. The infected contribute so unconsciously to the spread of dangerous germs. (Sb)

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