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Distinguishing Comorbidity, Disability, and Frailty

  • Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation (O Addison, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Over half of the older adults in the USA have multimorbidity, defined broadly as the presence of two or more chronic diseases in an individual. Multimorbidity has significant overlap with disability and frailty. In this review, we broadly review the concepts of multimorbidity, disability, and frailty, as well as their interrelationships, and ability to predict future adverse health outcomes in older adults.

Recent Findings

Depending on the study, the prevalence of individuals with all three of multimorbidity, disability, and frailty ranges from 2 to 20%. Multimorbidity and patterns of multimorbidity are predictive of functional limitations, disability, health care usage, and mortality. The degree to which multimorbidity predicts these outcomes depends on many factors but partly upon the population examined and the presence of frailty and disability.

Summary

Multimorbidity is an emerging public health concern that is observed with and predictive of disability and frailty.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology & Palliative Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA

    Sara E. Espinoza

  2. The Sam & Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity & Aging Studies, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA

    Sara E. Espinoza & Helen P. Hazuda

  3. Geriatrics Research, Education & Clinical Center, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Sara E. Espinoza

  4. Department of Physical Therapy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA

    Myla Quiben

  5. Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA

    Helen P. Hazuda

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  1. Sara E. Espinoza
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  2. Myla Quiben
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  3. Helen P. Hazuda
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Correspondence to Sara E. Espinoza.

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Sara Espinoza, Myla Quiben, and Helen Hazuda declare no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation

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Espinoza, S.E., Quiben, M. & Hazuda, H.P. Distinguishing Comorbidity, Disability, and Frailty. Curr Geri Rep 7, 201–209 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13670-018-0254-0

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