Individually, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are serious illnesses that contribute significantly to deaths and levels of ill health in the Australian population. When they occur together, the negative effects on health status and health services go beyond the sum of the effects of each single disease.

A new report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) is the first of its kind to examine in depth, the number of people in Australia with two or more of these conditions and to quantify associated rates of hospitalisation and mortality.

The report is the first in a planned series that will examine other characteristics of these comorbidities.

Source: AIHW