32 Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: Phenotypic Presentation, Comorbidity Risk, and Medical Service Utilization in the United States

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) is a heritable connective tissue disorder with no known genetic etiology. Its complex phenotypic presentation with multi-system involvement delays proper diagnosis and treatment, especially for females. This study examines the risk for common hEDS comorbidities and medical service utilization. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Electronic health records from over 150 million patients across 92 American healthcare servers were queried using the TriNetX database to determine phenotypic presentation of hEDS and risk of receiving comorbid diagnoses. Contingency tables were created with hEDS as the condition and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) or gastroparesis as the grouping variables. Advanced analytics were conducted to compare outcomes of two cohorts: (1) patients diagnosed with hEDS and both POTS and gastroparesis, and (2) patients with a sole diagnosis of hEDS. After propensity score matching, differences in medical service utilization and mental health diagnoses were assessed between these two cohorts. All analyses restricted age (12-70 years) and employed established exclusion criteria (e.g., diabetes). RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: TriNetX national health records (N = 1,968) reveal that hEDS predominantly affects females (87%) and is diagnosed at a mean of 35 years of age. People diagnosed with hEDS have a high prevalence of comorbid nervous system (81%), mental health (76%), and digestive system (69%) disorders. They are 29.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with POTS [95% CI: 27.1, 32.6] and 66.3 times more likely to be diagnosed with gastroparesis [95% CI: 56.5, 77.9], compared to people without hEDS. After propensity score matching for sex, race, and ethnicity, people diagnosed with hEDS and both POTS and gastroparesis have significantly greater service utilization (72.2% vs. 56.7%; z = 2.18, p < .05) but not a greater incidence of mental health disorders (34.4% vs. 24.4%; z = 1.47, p = .14) than people diagnosed with hEDS alone. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This study reveals the phenotypic presentation of hEDS and the elevated risk of co-occurring POTS and/or gastroparesis diagnosis. hEDS and its comorbidities are associated with more frequent medical encounters but not with a greater incidence of mental illness. Findings have implications for both clinical practice guidelines and further research.