Table 1.

Functional Comorbidity Index Items

	Conditions
1	Arthritis (rheumatoid and osteoarthritis)
2	Osteoporosis
3	Asthma
4	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acquired respiratory distress syndrome, or emphysema
5	Angina
6	Congestive heart failure (or heart disease)
7	Heart attack (myocardial infarction)
8	Neurological disease (Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis)
9	Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack
10	Peripheral vascular disease
11	Diabetes, Type I or Type II
12	Upper gastrointestinal disease (ulcer, hernia, reflux)
13	Depression
14	Anxiety or panic disorders
15	Visual impairment (such as cataracts or glaucoma)
16	Hearing Impairment (very hard of hearing)
17	Degenerative disc disease (back disease, spinal stenosis, or severe chronic back pain)
18	Obesity or Body Mass Index >30 kg/m2

Each condition is scored on a binary scale with 1 point given for the presence of a condition and 0 for the absence. The sum of the individual condition scores yields the Functional Comorbidity Index score, range 0–18⁷.