Morbidity

Definition

Morbidity denotes the incidence, prevalence, or burden of disease states that impair health and function, applicable to individuals or populations and conceptually distinct from mortality. [1]

It encompasses deviations from full health, ranging from acute illness to chronic multimorbidity, which is common in older adults. [2]

Morbidity in Ageing

Ageing elevates morbidity risk through physiological decline, often producing multimorbidity that erodes function and healthspan even when lifespan increases. [3]

Compression of Morbidity

The compression of morbidity hypothesis (Fries, 1980) proposes delaying disease onset so that illness is concentrated into a shorter period near the end of life, reducing cumulative years lived with disability. [4]

References

1. Hessler, R. M., et al. (2003). The compression of morbidity debate. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167494303000487
2. Blaum, C. (American Geriatrics Society). Morbidity, comorbidity, and multimorbidity. https://www.americangeriatrics.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/caroline_blaum.pdf
3. University of Glasgow. International multimorbidity research. https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/healthwellbeing/research/generalpractice/internationalmultimorbidity/blog/headline_1224242_en.html
4. Fries, J. F. (2011). Compression of morbidity 1980-2011. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3163136/