Number of older people with four or more diseases will double by 2035 experts predict

A massive expansion in the number of people with multiple diseases, is predicted to take place over the next 20 years, experts report in Age and Ageing. Arthritis and cancer will see the greatest rise in prevalence, while one third of people will be diagnosed with dementia, depression or a cognitive impairment.

“Much of the increase in four or more diseases, which we term complex multi-morbidity, is a result of the growth in the population aged 85 years and over,” explains Prof Carol Jagger who led the study. “More worryingly, our model shows that future young-old adults, aged 65 to 74 years, are more likely to have two or three diseases than in the past. This is due to their higher prevalence of obesity and physical inactivity which are risk factors for multiple diseases.”

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