Aging Research Center, NVS Department, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Sweden.
Ageing Res Rev. 2011 Sep;10(4):430-9. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2011.03.003. Epub 2011 Mar 23.
A literature search was carried out to summarize the existing scientific evidence concerning occurrence, causes, and consequences of multimorbidity (the coexistence of multiple chronic diseases) in the elderly as well as models and quality of care of persons with multimorbidity. According to pre-established inclusion criteria, and using different search strategies, 41 articles were included (four of these were methodological papers only). Prevalence of multimorbidity in older persons ranges from 55 to 98%. In cross-sectional studies, older age, female gender, and low socioeconomic status are factors associated with multimorbidity, confirmed by longitudinal studies as well. Major consequences of multimorbidity are disability and functional decline, poor quality of life, and high health care costs. Controversial results were found on multimorbidity and mortality risk. Methodological issues in evaluating multimorbidity are discussed as well as future research needs, especially concerning etiological factors, combinations and clustering of chronic diseases, and care models for persons affected by multiple disorders. New insights in this field can lead to the identification of preventive strategies and better treatment of multimorbid patients.
进行了文献检索，以总结有关老年人多种疾病共存（多种慢性疾病同时存在）的发生、原因和后果，以及多种疾病患者的治疗模式和质量的现有科学证据。根据预先确定的纳入标准，并使用不同的搜索策略，共纳入了 41 篇文章（其中 4 篇仅为方法学论文）。老年人多种疾病的患病率从 55%到 98%不等。在横断面研究中，年龄较大、女性和低社会经济地位是与多种疾病相关的因素，纵向研究也证实了这一点。多种疾病的主要后果是残疾和功能下降、生活质量差和医疗保健费用高。关于多种疾病与死亡风险的关系，存在有争议的结果。还讨论了评估多种疾病的方法学问题以及未来的研究需求，特别是关于病因因素、慢性疾病的组合和聚类以及受多种疾病影响的患者的治疗模式。该领域的新见解可以确定预防策略并更好地治疗多种疾病患者。
