Okuzeka
Medicine vocabulary · Diseases by System

Comorbidity

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˌkoʊmɔːrˈbɪdəti/nounCommon term

In medicine, comorbidity means: Another disease or condition that a patient has at the same time as the main problem being treated.

In Turkish: eşlik eden hastalık, komorbidite, ek hastalık

How it is used

Used in notes, referral letters and research: 'multiple comorbidities', 'significant comorbidity'. Comorbidities affect surgical risk, the choice of drugs and the prognosis. When presenting a patient, doctors say 'Her comorbidities include diabetes and COPD.'

Example sentences

  1. Because of his comorbidities, the surgeons felt he was not fit for a major operation.

  2. Depression is a common comorbidity in people with chronic pain.

Common collocations

  • multiple comorbidities
  • significant comorbidity
  • comorbidities include
  • burden of comorbidity
  • past medical historyThe section of a history that lists a patient's previous and ongoing illnesses, operations and hospital stays.
  • risk factorAnything that makes a person more likely to develop a disease, such as smoking, high blood pressure, age or family history.
  • prognosisA doctor's opinion about how an illness is likely to develop and what the chances of recovery or survival are.
  • chronicLasting a long time, usually more than three months, or coming back again and again; used for diseases that are controlled rather than cured.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Diseases by System

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.