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Article

Prevalence of Multimorbidity in Lithuania: Insights from National Health Insurance Fund Data

by
Dovilė Ramanauskaitė
1,2,*,
Roma Puronaitė
1,3,
Audronė Jakaitienė
3 and
Sigita Glaveckaitė
1
1
Clinic of Cardiac and Vascular Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania
2
Center of Cardiology and Angiology, Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, 08661 Vilnius, Lithuania
3
Institute of Data Science and Digital Technologies, Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Vilnius University, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2025, 12(2), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd12020047
Submission received: 29 December 2024 / Revised: 21 January 2025 / Accepted: 23 January 2025 / Published: 26 January 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Epidemiology, Lifestyle, and Cardiovascular Health)

Abstract

(1) Background: As the burden of multimorbidity is increasing worldwide, little is known about its prevalence in Lithuania. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of chronic conditions and multimorbidity among Lithuanian adults and assess their impact on healthcare utilization. (2) Methods: A retrospective analysis of the Lithuanian National Health Insurance Fund database was performed in 2019. Multimorbidity was defined as having two or more chronic conditions. (3) Results: Of the Lithuanian population, 1,193,668 (51.5%) had at least one chronic condition, and 717,386 (31.0%) had multimorbidity. Complex multimorbidity (CM) was present in 670,312 (28.9%) patients, with 85.0% having complex cardiac multimorbidity (CCM) and 15.0% having complex non-cardiac multimorbidity (CNM). Multimorbidity increased with age, from 2% at age 18–24 to 77.5% at age 80 and above, and was more prevalent among women (63.3% vs. 36.7%, p < 0.001). One-third of multimorbid patients were hospitalized at least once per year, with half staying for a week or longer. CCM patients were more likely to be hospitalized, rehospitalized, and have more primary care visits (OR: 2.23, 1.60, 4.24, respectively, all p < 0.001). (4) Conclusions: Multimorbidity in Lithuania increases with age and affects women more. Chronic cardiovascular diseases contribute to a higher prevalence of multimorbidity and a more significant burden on the healthcare system.
Keywords: multimorbidity; chronic diseases; healthcare resources; cardiac multimorbidity multimorbidity; chronic diseases; healthcare resources; cardiac multimorbidity

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MDPI and ACS Style

Ramanauskaitė, D.; Puronaitė, R.; Jakaitienė, A.; Glaveckaitė, S. Prevalence of Multimorbidity in Lithuania: Insights from National Health Insurance Fund Data. J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2025, 12, 47. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd12020047

AMA Style

Ramanauskaitė D, Puronaitė R, Jakaitienė A, Glaveckaitė S. Prevalence of Multimorbidity in Lithuania: Insights from National Health Insurance Fund Data. Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease. 2025; 12(2):47. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd12020047

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ramanauskaitė, Dovilė, Roma Puronaitė, Audronė Jakaitienė, and Sigita Glaveckaitė. 2025. "Prevalence of Multimorbidity in Lithuania: Insights from National Health Insurance Fund Data" Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease 12, no. 2: 47. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd12020047

APA Style

Ramanauskaitė, D., Puronaitė, R., Jakaitienė, A., & Glaveckaitė, S. (2025). Prevalence of Multimorbidity in Lithuania: Insights from National Health Insurance Fund Data. Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease, 12(2), 47. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd12020047

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