Multimorbidity patterns and mortality in older adults: Results from the KORA-Age study

The coexistence of several chronic diseases is very common in older adults, making it crucial to understand multimorbidity (MM) patterns and associated mortality. We aimed to determine the prevalence of MM and common chronic disease combinations, as well as their impact on mortality in men and women aged 65 years and older using the population-based KORA-Age study, based in South of Germany. The chronic disease status of the participants was determined in 2008/9, and mortality status was followed up until 2016. MM was defined as having at least two chronic diseases. We used Cox proportional hazard models to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between MM and all-cause mortality. During the study period 495 men (24.6%) and 368 women (17.4%) died. Although the MM prevalence was almost the same in men (57.7%) and women (60.0%), the overall effect of MM on mortality was higher in men (HR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.47-2.24) than in women (HR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.01-1.64; -value for interaction