Comorbidity is not a concept we encounter very often. Therefore "What is comorbidity?” it is wondered.
What is comorbidity?
It refers to the presence of two or more diseases or conditions at the same time or in succession. In other words, it means that a person has more than one disease at the same time. For example, if you have diabetes and high blood pressure, these two conditions are comorbidities of each other.
Comorbidities are noncommunicable diseases that account for roughly two-thirds of all deaths worldwide. High blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, stroke, and malignant diseases are examples of comorbidity.
What is comorbidity?
Different types of comorbidities
Comorbidity is a common occurrence in the following diseases:
Obesity
It is a complex condition characterized by excess body fat. According to the Society for Obesity Medicine, obesity is linked to roughly 236 medical conditions (including 13 types of cancer).
Diabetes
The following are some of the most common comorbidities associated with diabetes:
dyslipidemia
fatty liver disease not caused by alcohol
Congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease
for example : Continuous alcohol use can cause liver cirrhosis.
The indirect effects of one disorder influence the onset of another disorder.
for example : A heart disease can occur due to the stress associated with lifestyle changes.
Common causes.
for example : Experiencing traumatic events that lead to both anxiety and mood disorders.
Who is at risk for comorbidities?
Anyone can develop comorbidities, but certain groups of people are at higher risk for health problems than others.
The risk of comorbidity becomes more common with age. That's because older adults are more likely to have health problems than younger adults.
People with less access to healthcare are also at risk.
Other groups at risk include:
Pregnant women
Persons with congenital or early age diseases.
Certain lifestyle habits also increase the risk of developing certain conditions. For example, smoking, drinking alcohol…
How does comorbidity affect treatment?
Having co-morbidities complicates treatment for a health condition. For example, people with substance use disorders and mental health comorbidities have a higher risk of discontinuing treatment than people without mental illness.
Treatment of comorbid conditions often requires collaboration with individual specialists to develop a treatment plan for each condition.
Different conditions may require using separate medications. Some drugs may not be safe to take together, or one may reduce the effectiveness of the other.
