Objective To investigate the chronic comorbidities among elderly healthcare objects
so as to provide evidence for clinical decision-making.Methods Based on the method of random sampling
123 cadres aged over 65 years who underwent health check-up in a Beijing hospital during the period from October 2015 to July 2016 were included in this survey.Results The average number of comorbidities was 3.52±1.48 in the overall population;2.80±1.05
3.45±1.58 and 4.29±1.45 in the young old(65
&
lt;75 years old)
middle old(75
&
lt;85 years old)and very old(≥85 years old)groups
respectively.The differences in the average number of comorbidities were statistically significant among different age groups(P
<
0.05).Pairwise comparisons showed that
the average number of comorbidities in the very old group was much higher than those in the young old or middle old groups(P
<
0.05).Five cadres(all males)had only one kind of comorbidity
32(all males)had two kinds of comorbidities
and the other 86(80 males
6 females)had at least three kinds of comorbidities;the differences were statistically significant among different age groups(P
<
0.05).The most common comorbidities were cataract(91
73.98%)
prostatic hyperplasia(88
71.54%)
hypertension(77
62.60%)
hyperlipedemia(56
45.53%)and diabetes(36
29.27%).Conclusion The number and complexity of comorbidities tend to increase with advancing age.Thus
it is important for healthcare providers to pay close attention to age-related changes in elderly healthcare objects
be fully aware of their comorbidities
and learn new ideas about comorbidity management
so as to maintain and improve their quality of life.