Commentary on: Chen S, Marshall T, Jackson C, et al. Sociodemographic characteristics and longitudinal progression of multimorbidity: A multistate modelling analysis of a large primary care records dataset in England. PLoS Med 2023;20(11): e1004310. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004310
Collecting data about different physiological, psychological and sociodemographic factors is crucial to better understand the progression of multimorbidity, rather than single disease-oriented approaches. Factors that influence the development of multimorbidity seem to precede a subject’s engagement with health services, thus the implementation of preventive strategies should take place early in the disease trajectory, aiming to reduce inequalities between groups with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnicities.
Multimorbidity is the concomitant presence of ≥2 long-term chronic health conditions in a subject, it is increasingly prevalent with the ageing process and leads to poor health outcomes.