What is Comorbidity?
Comorbidity refers to the situation where an individual is affected by two or more distinct conditions, disorders or illnesses [1], with one condition at the focus. These conditions may or may not interact with one another. For example, someone may first being diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder, and then depression later on. Depression would be the comorbid condition [2].
It is important to note that this situation is not the same as a ‘complication’, which is a separate effect or problem occurring after the primary condition was diagnosed. Nonetheless, it is important for clinicians to identify when someone is comorbid as it likely requires adjustments to one’s treatment plan.
Common Comorbidities and their Causes
Common comorbidities include [3]:
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Asthma
- Depression
- Cancer
- Dementia
- Anxiety disorders
Groups who are more at-risk include those of lower socioeconomic status, pregnant women and people with hereditary or early life diseases.
The causes of comorbidities include [4]:
- Chance occurrence
- Shared risk factors
- Separate risk factors that relate to one another
- One condition increases the chance of others arising
- One condition has a multiform expression
As a result, those affected can lead a lessened quality of life, with limited function, poor physical and mental health as well as higher possibility of death.
How to Manage Comorbidity
It can be challenging to manage multiple chronic conditions so here are a couple of tips for those seeking treatment:
- Tell doctors as much details as you can about your medical history so that they can consider it in your treatment plan
- Establish a primary doctor to consult and to refer you to an appropriate specialist depending on your care needs
- Bring all your medications and doses to your medical appointments
- Incorporate healthy lifestyle habits such as regular exercise and eating a balanced diet
- Do not skip any medication
References:
[1] Valderas, J. M., Starfield, B., Sibbald, B., Salisbury, C., & Roland, M. (2009). Defining Comorbidity: Implications for Understanding Health and Health Services. Annals of Family Medicine, 7(4), 357–363. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.983
[2] Sreenivas, S. (2021). What is Comorbidity?. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-comorbidity
[3] Yetman, D. (2022). Comorbidity: Causes and Health Implications. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/comorbidity
[4] Klein, D. N. (2004). Different reasons for comorbidity require different solutions. World Psychiatry, 3(1): 28. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1414660/#B1
