Co-morbidity in Geriatric Patients Attend Elderly Clinic in Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Ageing is an inevitable stage of life, it carries two inconvenient events: physiologic decline and disease state. It is a challenge for the health system. By descriptive study the authors reviewed the medical record files organized to patients attend the clinic during last year starting from November 2016 through October 2017.

This study covered 72 elderly patients. Mean age of patients was 66.31+ 6.44. Quarter of patients presented with chest pain, followed by dyspnea at a rate of 23.6%. Patients with a combination of chronic diseases, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and ischemic heart disease formed 30.6%. Hypertension alone was found in 18.1% of the total sample, diabetes mellitus in 4.2%, and ischemic heart disease in 11.1% of cases.

Ageing process cause deterioration in some functions of the body, also it increases the prevalence of chronic diseases.

Key words: Baghdad, chronic diseases, presenting symptom, age