Comorbidity Patterns and Influencing Factors in Elderly Chronic Disease Patients: A Five-Year Retrospective Study

Background: This study aims to analyze the comorbidity patterns of chronic diseases in elderly patients aged 65 and above at Panzhihua Central Hospital and their relationships with gender and age, revealing the strength of associations between common chronic diseases, thereby providing data support for clinical management and public health strategies. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of 88,742 hospitalized patients aged 65 and above at Panzhihua Central Hospital from January 2019 to December 2023. Patient data, including age, gender, primary diagnosis, and other disease diagnoses, were collected through the hospital's medical information system. Diseases were classified and statistically analyzed according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10). The comorbidity patterns among 13 common chronic diseases were analyzed. Results: Hypertension, diabetes, and coronary heart disease are the most common chronic diseases among elderly patients. The most common three-way comorbidity pattern is HTN + DM + CA, with a prevalence of 41.05%. Gender and age have significant impacts on comorbidity patterns. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF) comorbidity patterns are more common in male patients, while gastrointestinal and renal diseases are predominant in females. As age increases, the comorbidity rate of cardiovascular and neurological diseases rises significantly, particularly in elderly individuals aged 80 and above. Hypertension shows a significant association with chronic diseases like diabetes and coronary heart disease, and the comorbidity relationship between atrial fibrillation and heart failure is particularly strong, suggesting a potential shared pathological mechanism between these diseases. Conclusions: Hypertension, diabetes, and coronary heart disease are the most common chronic diseases among elderly patients, and there is a high degree of comorbidity between these diseases. Gender and age significantly influence comorbidity patterns, and there are strong associations between chronic diseases. The findings provide important clinical evidence for the management of chronic diseases in the elderly population, suggesting the development of personalized disease management strategies based on gender and age characteristics to optimize the allocation of public health resources.