THOUSANDS of Islanders have multiple long-term health conditions, according to newly released statistics – and the number is expected to increase over the next 20 years.
A report issued by Public Health has revealed the growing numbers of people in Jersey – up to 14% of the total population from 11% in 2016 and 13% in 2023 – living with multi-morbidity, where an individual has two or more long-term medical conditions.
The multi-morbidity report, produced annually using data from GPs, found that 33,080 Islanders were registered with at least one of 12 monitored long-term conditions. Of these, 14,195 people (14%) have been diagnosed with more than one of these conditions.
In 2023, 14,140 people were classified as having multiple conditions, an increase of 765 from the previous year.
And projections indicate this number could rise by a further 20% by 2043.
Hypertension (high blood pressure) was the most common condition at the end of last year – affecting 18,125 patients.
Dementia and mental-health conditions were the least prevalent among the 12 monitored conditions, with around 900 cases each.
The report also identified differences in how these conditions affect different groups.
Women were more likely to be diagnosed with obesity, asthma and chronic kidney disease, while men are more commonly affected by coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation and diabetes. For example, 67% of coronary heart disease cases affected men, while 60% of chronic kidney disease cases affected women.
Age was also a key factor – most people under 30 had no long-term conditions, but, by age 65, more than half were managing at least one. By 85, most Islanders live with two or more.
Certain conditions frequently occur together. Hypertension and obesity remain the most common pairing – affecting 4,785 people – though this was a decrease of 155 cases from the previous year.
Among heart failure patients, 96% had at least one additional condition, and more than half were managing three or more.
Clusters of three or more conditions were also common, the report found. The most frequently occurring “triad” included hypertension, diabetes and obesity, affecting 1,290 people.
The most prevalent combination of four conditions – coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and obesity – affected 195 people.
