International Journal of Geriatrics · Oct 19, 2026
Comorbidity patterns and risk factors for mental disorders and physical diseases in older adults
By 王雪初
OBJECTIVE: To identify physical disease comorbidity patterns and risk factors in older patients with mental disorders. METHODS: Patients with mental disorders admitted to the geriatric psychiatry ward of Beijing Anding Hospital from January to December 2023 were selected for a retrospective analysis, and a multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyze comorbidity patterns and risk factors for mental and physical diseases. RESULTS: Among 890 patients, the comorbidities of mental disorders and physical diseases with the highest prevalences were depressive disorder with hyperlipidemia (32.58%), depressive disorder with hypertension (27.08%), depressive disorder with hypoproteinemia (17.87%), depressive disorder with cerebral infarction (13.60%), and depressive disorder with diabetes mellitus (13.15%), respectively. Compared with female sex, male sex significantly reduced the risk of comorbid depressive disorder and hyperlipidemia (P<0.05); compared with the 60～69-year age group, the age ≥80 years group had a significantly reduced risk of comorbid depressive disorder and hyperlipidemia (P<0.05). Age 70～79 years, cerebral infarction, diabetes mellitus, and other factors increased the risk of comorbid depressive disorder and hypertension (P<0.05). Male sex and age ≥80 years significantly reduced the risk of comorbid depressive disorder and hypoproteinemia (P<0.05), while anemia increased the risk of comorbid depressive disorder and hypoproteinemia (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Older patients with mental disorders have disease-specific high-prevalence comorbidity patterns driven by factors related to the "vascular-metabolic-nutritional" domains, and targeted prevention and control are needed in clinical practice.