title: Frailty and multimorbidity: Two related yet different concepts.
abstract: The extension of life expectancy is a global phenomenon. The growth in the ageing population has created a new health scenario in which there is a higher prevalence of frailty and multimorbidity. The attention received by both conditions derives from their strong association with disability, hospitalization, and death. The aim of the present paper is to conceptualize and differentiate these terms and to discuss their interrelations. We conclude that, yet related, they represent two different clinical conditions. Frailty identifies the increased vulnerability to stressors due to a dynamic, non-linear, and multidimensional depletion of physiological reserve and redundancy, whereas multimorbidity refers to the coexistence of two or more clinically manifest chronic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: pavifer3@uv.es.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Villacampa-Fernández
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: esperanza.navarro@uv.es.
authors.forename: Esperanza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Navarro-Pardo
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Biology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: Juan.J.Tarin@uv.es.
authors.forename: Juan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Tarín
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Valencia, Spain; Service of Obstetrics and Gynecology, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: Antonio.Cano@uv.es.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence
keywords: Ageing; Chronic disease; Comorbidity; Frailty; Multimorbidity; Non-communicable disease