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. 2022 Nov 2;12(11):e063891. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063891

Table 3.

Prevalence (/100) of multimorbidity as >2 or >3 chronic conditions and comorbidity profiles in incident dementia cases and matched controls using the Jonckheere-Terpstra and the Cochrane-Armitage tests for trend from 2000 to 2021

Study population 2000–2003 2004–2007 2008–2011 2012–2016 2017–2021 Trend test (p)
n n n n n
Patients with dementia 338 454 564 653 1826
Matched controls 258 763 1343 3575 5417
Mean age (SD)
 Cases 81 (7) 80.5 (6.9) 81.2 (6.8) 81.4 (6.7) 83.2 (6.9) 0.0002
 Controls 82.9 (6.9) 83.8 (6.8) 83.8 (6.9) 84.1 (7) 84.1 (6.7)
Females, n (%)
 Cases 235 (69.5) 302 (66.5) 363 (64.4) 403 (61.7) 1175 (64.3) 0.0807
 Controls 174 (67.4) 504 (66.1) 885 (65.9) 2293 (64.1) 3500 (64.6)
Multimorbidity prevalence (/100) n (%) n (%) n (%) n (%) n (%)
 ≥2 chronic conditions
 Cases 283 (83.7) 400 (88.1) 495 (87.8) 571 (87.4) 1586 (86.9) 0.5749
 Controls 156 (60.5) 443 (58.1) 714 (53.2) 2324(65) 3461 (63.9) <0.0001
≥3 chronic conditions
 Cases 218 (64.5) 331 (72.9) 426 (75.5) 489 (74.9) 1365 (74.8) 0.0031
 Controls 127 (49.2) 354 (46.4) 571 (42.5) 1945 (54.4) 2873(53) <0.0001
 Comorbidity prevalence (/100) n (%) n (%) n (%) n (%) n (%)
Atrial fibrillation/flutter (K78)
 Cases 36 (10.7) 76 (16.7) 74 (13.1) 110 (16.8) 328(18) 0.0011
 Controls 37 (14.3) 83 (10.9) 142 (10.6) 474 (13.3) 788 (14.5) 0.0004
Hypertension (K86–87)
 Cases 97 (28.7) 168(37) 241 (42.7) 280 (42.9) 874 (47.9) <0.0001
 Controls 71 (27.5) 220 (28.8) 414 (30.8) 1305 (36.5) 2219(41) <0.0001
Heart failure (K77)
 Cases 20 (5.9) 42 (9.3) 44 (7.8) 51 (7.8) 149 (8.2) 0.5506
 Controls 41 (15.9) 80 (10.5) 121(9) 287(8) 432(8) <0.0001
Atherosclerosis (K92)
 Cases 53 (15.7) 87 (19.2) 108 (19.1) 120 (18.4) 348 (19.1) 0.3585
 Controls 45 (17.4) 127 (16.6) 161(12) 484 (13.5) 745 (13.8) 0.1913
Ischaemic heart disease (K74–K75–K76)
 Cases 48 (14.2) 75 (16.5) 89 (15.8) 95 (14.5) 222 (12.2) 0.0163
 Controls 44 (17.1) 114 (14.9) 199 (14.8) 525 (14.7) 571 (10.5) <0.0001
Diabetes mellitus
 Cases 37 (10.9) 89 (19.6) 106 (18.8) 104 (15.9) 370 (20.3) 0.0032
 Controls 39 (15.1) 106 (13.9) 175(13) 632 (17.7) 918 (16.9) 0.0025
Irritable bowel syndrome (D01–D93)
 Cases 20 (5.9) 33 (7.3) 35 (6.2) 39 (6) 110 (6) 0.6156
 Controls 13 (5) 48 (6.3) 61 (4.5) 187 (5.2) 305 (5.6) 0.5952
Asthma (R96)
 Cases 22 (6.5) 36 (7.9) 55 (9.8) 77 (11.8) 169 (9.3) 0.1246
 Controls 10 (3.9) 42 (5.5) 91 (6.8) 338 (9.5) 510 (9.4) <0.0001
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (R95)
 Cases 25 (7.4) 42 (9.3) 45(8) 63 (9.6) 163 (8.9) 0.4734
 Controls 30 (11.6) 61 (8) 99 (7.4) 289 (8.1) 444 (8.2) 0.7069
Osteoarthritis (L89–L90–L91)
 Cases 98(29) 146 (32.2) 182 (32.3) 218 (33.4) 543 (29.7) 0.5957
 Controls 56 (21.7) 165 (21.6) 299 (22.3) 1024 (28.6) 1459 (26.9) <0.0001
Cerebrovascular disease (K90–K91)
 Cases 45 (13.3) 63 (13.9) 74 (13.1) 78 (11.9) 263 (14.4) 0.5344
 Controls 30 (11.6) 97 (12.7) 99 (7.4) 312 (8.7) 493 (9.1) 0.1027
Malignancy (A79-Y78-N74-Y77-U76-T71-D76-D74-U77-U75-D75-R84-B74-S77-R85-D77-X76-W72-X75-X77)
 Cases 57 (16.9) 64 (14.1) 97 (17.2) 115 (17.6) 326 (17.9) 0.1731
 Controls 34 (13.2) 120 (15.7) 204 (15.2) 670 (18.7) 928 (17.1) 0.063
Chronic kidney disease
 Cases 39 (11.5) 47 (10.4) 56 (9.9) 61 (9.3) 160 (8.8) 0.0717
 Controls 27 (10.5) 61(8) 95 (7.1) 149 (4.2) 393 (7.3) 0.4928
Urinary incontinence (U04)
 Cases 19 (5.6) 34 (7.5) 48 (8.5) 71 (10.9) 207 (11.3) <0.0001
 Controls 14 (5.4) 41 (5.4) 71 (5.3) 270 (7.6) 396 (7.3) 0.0053
Parkinsonism (N87)
 Cases 15 (4.4) 37 (8.1) 32 (5.7) 35 (5.4) 86 (4.7) 0.1178
 Controls 11 (4.3) 39 (5.1) 48 (3.6) 95 (2.7) 146 (2.7) 0.0004
Lipid metabolism disorder (T93)
 Cases 60 (17.8) 93 (20.5) 155 (27.5) 189 (28.9) 469 (25.7) 0.0018
 Controls 23 (8.9) 113 (14.8) 204 (15.2) 788(22) 1230 (22.7) <0.0001
Back pain (L84–L86)
 Cases 51 (15.1) 70 (15.4) 95 (16.8) 108 (16.5) 333 (18.2) 0.0681
 Controls 28 (10.9) 95 (12.5) 202(15) 755 (21.1) 1033 (19.1) <0.0001
Osteoporosis (L95)
 Cases 39 (11.5) 66 (14.5) 82 (14.5) 99 (15.2) 249 (13.6) 0.7307
 Controls 29 (11.2) 59 (7.7) 109 (8.1) 386 (10.8) 571 (10.5) 0.0197
Eczema/dermatitis (S87–S88)
 Cases 39 (11.5) 61 (13.4) 86 (15.2) 104 (15.9) 193 (10.6) 0.0812
 Controls 31(12) 74 (9.7) 119 (8.9) 509 (14.2) 542(10) 0.6173
Psychiatric comorbidities n (%) n (%) n (%) n (%) n (%)* n (%)
Psychotic disorders (P71–P72–P73)
 Cases 4 (1.2) 16 (3.5) 17(3) 22 (3.4) 133 (7.2) <0.0001
Anxiety disorder (P74)
 Cases 0 (0) 1 (0.2) 1 (0.2) 0 (0) 21 (1.1) 0.0008
Depressive disorder (P76)
 Cases 6 (1.8) 14 (3.1) 21 (3.7) 14 (2.1) 88 (4.8) 0.0052

*Patients with dementia=1848 (later analysis).