Question:
Can someone help me with comorbidities?

I know i have a bad back due to weight gain, and my knees are always aching, but I may be seeing a new WLS DR. and my insurance says that I have to be a 100lbs overweight which I am, and have at least 2 comorbities, maybe there is a list out there. Maybe I have some comorbities and dont know I have them. Any advice??? Is there a website?    — Tina B. (posted on January 18, 2002)

January 18, 2002
Tina here is a fairly long list of comorbidities known to be associated with Co-Morbidities. It is best to list all things you have experienced and inform yur Surgeon and or PCP of them. You may be surprised of even more that you have which are on this list disguised under a fancy medical term. I cannot recall where I got this but knew it would come in handy so here is one of my pages. http://www.geocities.com/its_breezy/ICD9Codes.html Hope this helps! http://www.geocities.com/its_breezy/ICD9Codes.html
   — TerryS

January 18, 2002
Back and knees are your first two. Your on your way!
   — bob-haller

January 18, 2002
Here's what I found in the library here: For folks trying to gather information on comorbidities, this is an excellent resource, written by a bunch of docs from Harvard. Here is the abstract. Obesity and Its Comorbid Conditions Obese patients are at an increased risk for developing many medical problems, including insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, stroke, sleep apnea, gallbladder disease, hyperuricemia and gout, and osteoarthritis. Certain cancers are also associated with obesity, including colorectal and prostate cancer in men and endometrial, breast, and gallbladder cancer in women [1-6]. Excess body weight is also associated with substantial increases in mortality from all causes, in particular, cardiovascular disease. More than 5% of the national health expenditure in the United States is directed at medical costs associated with obesity [7]. In addition, certain psychologic problems, including binge-eating disorder and depression, are more common among obese persons than they are in the general population [8,9]. Finally, obese individuals may suffer from social stigmatization and discrimination, and severely obese people may experience greater risk of impaired psychosocial and physical functioning, causing a negative impact on their quality of life [10]. The full text of the article is available at Medscape (you may need to register). The URL is http://womenshealth.medscape.com/19870.rhtml. - Kim H Here is another reference of co-morbidities related to morbid obesity. I thought someone might like to refer to this list to try to get approval for the surgery. ---Obesity is an independent risk factor or an aggravating agent for more than 30 medical conditions including: Arthritis 1. Osteoarthritis of knee and hip 2. Rheumatoid arthritis 3. Birth Defects Cancers 4. Breast Cancer in Women 5. Breast Cancer in Men 6. Cancers of the Esophagus and Gastric Cardia 7. Colorectal Cancer 8. Endometrial Cancer 9. Renal Cell Cancer OTHER 10. Cardiovascular Disease 11. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 12. Chronic Venous Insufficiency 13. Daytime Sleepiness 14. Deep Vein Thrombosis 15. End Stage Renal Disease 16. Gallbladder Disease 17. Gout 18. Heat Disorders 19. Hypertension 20. Impaired Immune Response 21. Impaired Respiratory Function 22. Infections Following Wounds 23. Infertility 24. Liver Disease 25. Low Back Pain 26. Obstetric and Gynecological Complications 27. Pain 28. Sever Acute Biliary and Alcoholic Pancreatitis 29. Sleep Apnea 30. Stroke 31. Surgical Complications 32. Traumatic Injuries to Teeth 33. Type 2 Diabetes (NIDDM) 34. Urinary Stress Incontinence http://www.obesity.org/obmedconditions.htm - Lynn Karagory <br><br>I've left on the names of the people who supplied this information. I hope this helps!!!
   — Becky H.

January 18, 2002
Look at my profile, I have a list of near 100 acceptable co-morbidities! :)
   — Sharon H.

September 6, 2003
The current address for the comorbidities listed in Lisa's response is http://www.obesity.org/subs/fastfacts/Health_Effects.shtml.
   — ssundlee