What is a comorbidity?

You may have heard the term ‘comorbidity’. It comes from the word ‘morbidity’, which means suffering from a disease or condition. Common morbidities in New Zealand include heart disease, cancer and diabetes1.

When you have a comorbidity (also called multi-morbidity) it means you’re suffering from two or more diseases or conditions at the same time.

Sometimes, these comorbidities are unrelated. However, there are often common risk factors that are linked to many chronic diseases. For example, people who suffer from weight problems are more likely to have comorbidities like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and sleep apnoea2.

How common is comorbidity?

Comorbidity is quite common in New Zealand.

Chronic conditions account for 8 of the top 10 leading causes of premature mortality in New Zealand3

Pacific, Indian, and Maori populations are more likely to suffer chronic conditions such as diabetes compared with European/other peoples

Depending on the severity of the diseases, comorbidities can have a big impact on your wellbeing and may even shorten your life.

Obesity and Type 2 diabetes

The research behind the science

1 OECD (2019), The Heavy Burden of Obesity: The Economics of Prevention, OECD Health Policy Studies, OECD Publishing, Paris,viewed July 2022, https://doi.org/10.1787/67450d67-en

2 Khaodhiar L, McCowen KC, Blackburn GL. Obesity and its comorbid conditions. Clin Cornerstone. 1999;2(3):17-31. doi:10.1016/s1098-3597(99)90002-9 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1098359799900029

3 https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/health-and-independence-report-2019-25feb2021.pdf