Key result
In older adults, medical comorbidity with mental disorders is most often characterized by concurrent physical illness, particularly cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, leading to disability.
Highlights the prominent role of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in the etiology and prognosis of mental disorders in older adults.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Supports holistic geriatric assessment incorporating cardiovascular screening; leaves open prospective trials on comorbidity management.
Comorbidity is a common characteristic of mental illness in all age groups. In younger persons, however, the comorbidity is often a manifestation of substance abuse or personality disorder complicating another major mental illness. In older adults comorbidity is most often characterized by concurrent mental and physical illness with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases playing the most prominent role in both the etiology and prognosis. Excessive or persistent disability is the common ground upon which medical comorbidity and mental disorders manifest their relationship.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Kennedy et al. (1999) conducted a review in Mental disorders and medical comorbidity. In older adults, medical comorbidity with mental disorders is most often characterized by concurrent physical illness, particularly cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, leading to disability.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: