Multimorbidity Clusters Among People Aged 65 Years and Over in Australia: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Data…

Cross-sectionalThe Medical journal of Australia· Jul 2026

Multimorbidity Clusters Among People Aged 65 Years and Over in Australia: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Data Linkage Study.

Weisi Chen, Christine Y Lu, Sarah N Hilmer … Edwin C K Tan

Multimorbidity & PolypharmacyCross-sectionalQ1IF 2.9

Most older Australians are treated for multiple chronic conditions at once.

Multimorbidity Clusters Among People Aged 65 Years and Over in Australia: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Data Linkage Study.

Weisi Chen … Edwin C K Tan

The Medical journal of Australia · Jul 2026 · Q1 in General Medicine

Purpose

To identify sex-specific multimorbidity patterns in Australia, using the Rx-Risk index (a medication-based measure), to: (i) estimate the prevalence of chronic treated conditions; (ii) map network-based multimorbidity clusters; and (iii) examine how these clusters vary by age, socio-economic status and geographic remoteness.

Methods

Australian residents aged ≥ 65 years with at least one Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and/or Medicare Benefits Schedule claim between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023.

n = 4,435,784 individuals

Results

76.1%

more than 3 in 4 are managed for two or more chronic conditions at once

n = 4,435,784 individuals

More results

The prevalence of these clusters and their component conditions varied across sociodemographic groups, with higher prevalence observed in individuals aged ≥ 85 years and those living in socio-economically disadvantaged areas.

Minimal differences were observed between metropolitan and non-metropolitan regions.

“

Conclusion · 1 of 2

Multimorbidity was highly prevalent among older Australians with at least one Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and/or Medicare Benefits Schedule claim during the study year, with multimorbidity clusters showing marked sociodemographic variation in prevalence.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

These findings highlight the heterogeneity in treated conditions captured in administrative claims and provide insights to inform future research and policy planning for prevention and management of multimorbidity in an ageing population.

Multimorbidity Clusters Among People Aged 65 Years and Over in Australia: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Data Linkage Study.

Multimorbidity Clusters Among People Aged 65 Years and Over in Australia: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Data Linkage Study.

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