comorbidity
Meaning of comorbidity: Comorbidity describes the presence of one or more additional conditions occurring alongside a primary disease in the same person.
Definition of comorbidity
Comorbidity refers to the presence of one or more additional health conditions occurring in a person alongside a primary disease being discussed. The additional conditions may or may not be related to the primary disease, and a person can have several comorbidities present at the same time.
Comorbid conditions matter clinically because they can influence how a primary disease behaves, how well a person tolerates a given treatment, and what risks are involved in a procedure. A chronic lung condition, for example, can complicate recovery from major surgery, while kidney disease can change how a medication is processed by the body.
Because comorbidities can shape both prognosis and treatment choices, clinicians typically account for a person's overall pattern of comorbid conditions, not only the primary disease itself, when planning care and estimating expected outcomes.
Used in a sentence
The patient's diabetes was recorded as a significant comorbidity affecting the surgical plan.
Good to know
Comorbidity describes conditions existing alongside a primary disease, distinct from a complication, which is a problem caused by the primary disease or its treatment rather than an independent condition present beforehand.
Word origin
Where “comorbidity” comes from
Formed from Latin co-, meaning together, and morbidus, meaning diseased, from morbus, meaning disease.