Comorbid chronic diseases, discordant impact on mortality in older people: a 14-year longitudinal population study

• DOI: 10.1136/jech.2009.088260
• Publication Date: 2009-10-24T00:25:00Z
• Authors: G. E. Caughey; E. N. Ramsay; A. I. Vitry; A. L. Gilbert; M. A. Luszcz; P. Ryan; E. E. Roughead
• Keywords: Male; Self-Assessment; 610; Comorbidity; elderly; 1117 Public Health and Health Services; Interviews as Topic; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Residence Characteristics; Activities of Daily Living; South Australia; 80 and over; Health Status Indicators; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Mortality; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis of Variance; 16. Peace & justice; mortality; 3. Good health; comorbidity; Socioeconomic Factors; 1701 Psychology; Chronic Disease; Female; chronic disease

<h3>Objectives</h3> To determine the impact of comorbid chronic diseases on mortality in older people. <h3>Design</h3> Prospective cohort study (1992–2006). Associations between numbers or mutually exclusive over 14 years, by Cox proportional hazards model adjusting for sociodemographic variables Kaplan–Meier analyses, respectively. <h3>Setting</h3> Population based, Australia. <h3>Participants</h3> 2087 randomly selected participants aged ≥65 years old, living community institutions. <h3>Main results</h3> Participants with 3–4 ≥5 had a 25% (95% CI 1.05 to 1.5, p=0.01) and 80% 1.5 2.2, p&lt;0.0001) increased risk mortality, respectively, comparison no disease, after age, sex residential status. When cardiovascular disease (CVD), mental health problem diabetes were arthritis, there was trend towards survival (range 8.2–9.5 years) CVD, alone (survival 5.8–6.9 years). This increase arthritis as comorbidity negated when CVD problems present combinations together. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Older people ≥3 have but discordant effects depend specific combinations. These results raise hypothesis that patients who an likelihood opportunity care from their physician are more likely detected managed.