People with asthma often have other chronic and long-term conditions. This is called ‘comorbidity’, which describes any additional disease that is experienced by a person with a disease of interest (the index disease). Comorbidities are typically more common in older age groups.

  • Cat. no: ACM 41
Findings from this report:

  • 49% aged 45 and over with asthma also had arthritis, 37% had back problems and 33% had mental and behavioural conditions

  • 54% of people aged 45 and over with asthma had 2 or more other selected chronic conditions in 2017‑18

  • 81% of Australians aged 45 and over with asthma had at least one other selected chronic condition in 2017‑18

  • Adults with asthma were 1.4 times as likely to be obese as people without asthma