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Self-reported medical co-morbidity among 400 substance using patients at an addiction unit in India

Abstract Background and aims: Medical illnesses appear to be more common in substance users than non-users. However, research on medical co-morbidities with substance use disorders is sparse from developing countries. This study aimed to study the occurrence of medical co-morbidites in a sample of patients in India. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was carried out at the de-addiction centre in northern India which caters to patients seeking treatment for alcohol detoxification and opioid use disorders and smoking cessation. Consecutive newly registered patients with substance use disorder were recruited and information was gathered using a structured questionnaire. Charlson Co-morbidity Index (CCI) was calculated. Results: In total, 406 consecutive participants were enrolled. Of the total, 215 patients (53.0% of the sample) had co-morbid medical disorders. The organ systems affected in descending order of frequency was gastrointestinal (24.9%), neurological (12.1%), cardiovascular (6.9%), infections (5.4%), orthopaedic (4.9%), pulmonary (4.7%), endocrine (3.7%), ophthalmic (2.4%), dermatological (1.9%), renal (1.7%), ENT (1.5%) and others (2.5%). Logistic regression revealed age, alcohol use disorder and nuclear family type as independent predictors of a medical disorder. Conclusions: Medical disorders frequently co-exist with substance use disorders, and need to be systematically evaluated and addressed for better patient management.