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Comorbidity

Co-morbidity (say "koh-mor-BID-uh-tee") means that a person has two or more diseases at the same time. These are usually long-term (chronic) diseases that need treatment for a lifetime.

Examples of co-morbidities include having both high blood pressure and diabetes, or having high cholesterol, heart failure, and diabetes.

Co-morbidities can change treatment options. One disease can make another disease worse, and the total effect of all the diseases may be more than each one on its own.