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comorbid

American  
[koh-mawr-bid] / koʊˈmɔr bɪd /

adjective

  1. (of medical conditions) present simultaneously in a patient.

    comorbid insomnia and anxiety;

    depression comorbid with phobias;

    diabetics with comorbid hypertension.


Usage

What does comorbid mean? Comorbid describes two or more diseases or medical conditions that exist at the same time in a person, as in The patient had a case of malaria with comorbid pneumonia. The conditions or illnesses said to be comorbid are unrelated to each other. They are simply occurring at the same time. One did not cause the other. However, the presence of one disease can worsen the condition of another.Comorbidity is the state of having multiple medical conditions at the same time, as in Arthritis is a common comorbidity of obesity. Example: The man was suffering from depression and comorbid insomnia.

Other Word Forms

  • comorbidity noun

Etymology

Origin of comorbid

First recorded in 1980–85; co- + morbid ( def. ) (in the sense “associated with or characteristic of a disease”)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Patients with asthma, a comorbid disease that frequently occurs along with atopic dermatitis, showed a median 56% reduction in fractional exhaled nitric oxide, a measure of airway inflammation.

From Barron's

This glycan signature also has the potential to predict the onset of comorbid conditions in PLWH, such as cancer, years in advance.

From Science Daily

I don’t want to scare off the uninitiated audience with too many details; however, there are so many comorbid conditions that those with lower support needs like to sweep under the rug.

From Seattle Times

"After FCE treatment, 18 out of 20 patients showed improvement in most core and comorbid symptoms of autism, and in quality of life for patients and their families," the authors concluded.

From Salon

For example, in addition to “symptom” and “disorder,” many scientists use the term “comorbid” rather than the more neutral “co-occurring” to describe conditions that tend to accompany autism.

From Science Magazine