title: 'Multimorbidity' as the manifestation of network disturbances.
abstract: We argue that 'multimorbidity' is the manifestation of interconnected physiological network processes within an individual in his or her socio-cultural environment. Networks include genomic, metabolomic, proteomic, neuroendocrine, immune and mitochondrial bioenergetic elements, as well as social, environmental and health care networks. Stress systems and other physiological mechanisms create feedback loops that integrate and regulate internal networks within the individual. Minor (e.g. daily hassles) and major (e.g. trauma) stressful life experiences perturb internal and social networks resulting in physiological instability with changes ranging from improved resilience to unhealthy adaptation and 'clinical disease'. Understanding 'multimorbidity' as a complex adaptive systems response to biobehavioural and socio-environmental networks is essential. Thus, designing integrative care delivery approaches that more adequately address the underlying disease processes as the manifestation of a state of physiological dysregulation is essential. This framework can shape care delivery approaches to meet the individual's care needs in the context of his or her underlying illness experience. It recognizes 'multimorbidity' and its symptoms as the end product of complex physiological processes, namely, stress activation and mitochondrial energetics, and suggests new opportunities for treatment and prevention. The future of 'multimorbidity' management might become much more discerning by combining the balancing of physiological dysregulation with targeted personalized biotechnology interventions such as small molecule therapeutics targeting specific cellular components of the stress response, with community-embedded interventions that involve addressing psycho-socio-cultural impediments that would aim to strengthen personal/social resilience and enhance social capital.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, Newcastle - Australia, The University of Newcastle, Wamberal, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Joachim P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Sturmberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Jeanette M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health, Monash Health, Clayton - Australia.
authors.forename: Carmel M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8174-7859
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Department of Neurology and CTNI, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Picard
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000458:organization & administration; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D004777:Environment; D023281:Genomics; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D000071069:Multiple Chronic Conditions / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: complex adaptive systems; mitochondria; multimorbidity; nonlinear dynamics; philosophy of health; philosophy of medicine; psychoneuroimmunology