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Concurrent
health problems take heavy toll on Seniors
In the later
years of life, chronic diseases and other health problems tend to
accumulate and negatively affect an individual's health, according
to reports published in the latest issue of The Journal of
Gerontology: Medical Sciences (Vol. 62A, No. 3).
In a special section devoted to the presence of
coexisting medical conditions - known as comorbidity
- this edition of the journal features four separate
articles on the topic.
New diagnoses of
common health problems add complexity to an older person's health
status, which is usually characterized by preexisting problems. In
1999, 24 percent of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 or older had four
or more chronic conditions. The proportion was 31.4 percent among
those 85 or older.
The authors
outline a need to improve the understanding of the role of multiple
comorbid conditions in the health of older adults. A comprehensive
nosology, or classification, of comorbidity is their first step
towards this goal.
The nosology
begins with physiologic systems (e.g., cardiovascular, endocrine)
and assesses each system in several domains (e.g., coronary blood
flow, systemic blood pressure, and cardiac function in the
cardiovascular system). Functioning in each domain can range from
high-functioning, even protective, zones (e.g., high levels of
high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol) to severe dysfunction (as in
end-stage disease).
The research
presented in the special section was inspired and guided by issues
raised at meetings of the NIA's Task Force on Comorbidity. The
Institute itself also provided support for these articles.
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