Wang et al evaluated the impact of comorbidity on survival in patients with myelodysplasia. The authors are from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Patient selection: myelodysplastic syndrome
Observations:
(1) A patient without comorbidities lived longer than a patient with comorbidities.
(2) The higher the comorbidity the worse the survival. A patient with a Charlson index >= 3 had a worse outcome than patients with a lower index.
Comorbid conditions associated with a hazard ratio from 1.4 to 2.0):
(1) congestive heart failure
(2) COPD
(3) dementia
(4) mild liver disease (but not moderate or severe)
(5) acute ulcerations (but not chronic)
A patient with significant comorbid disease may not be treated as aggressively as a person who is otherwise healthy.
To read more or access our algorithms and calculators, please log in or register.
