Prevalence of chronic diseases and multimorbidity among the elderly population in Sweden.

We explored the role of age, gender, and socioeconomic status in the occurrence of chronic diseases and multimorbidity in 1099 elderly participants in the Kungsholmen Project. Cardiovascular and mental diseases were the most common chronic disorders. Of the participants, 55% had multimorbidity. Advanced age, female gender, and lower education were independently associated with a more than 50% increased risk for multimorbidity. Multimorbidity is the most common clinical picture of the elderly and may be increased by unhealthy behaviors linked to education.