Abstract:
Background: Multimorbidity is the co-occurrence of two or more diseases in the same individual. One method to
identify this condition at an early stage is the use of specific markers for various combinations of morbidities. Nonetheless,
evidence related to physiological markers in multimorbidity is limited. Objective: The aim was to perform a systematic
review to identify physiological markers associated with multimorbidity. Design: Articles available on PubMed, Register
of Controlled Trials, Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, Scopus, SocINDEX, Web of Science, LILACS, and SciELO, from
their inception to May 2018, were systematically searched and reviewed. The project was registered in PROSPERO under
the number CRD42017055522. Results: The systematic search identified 922 papers. After evaluation, 18 articles were
included in the full review reporting at least one physiological marker in coexisting diseases or which are strongly
associated with the presence of multimorbidity in the future. Only five of these studies examined multimorbidity in
general, identifying five physiological markers associated with multimorbidity, namely, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate
(DHEAS), interleukin 6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), lipoprotein (Lp), and cystatin C (Cyst-C). Conclusions: There is
a paucity of studies related to physiological markers in multimorbidity. DHEAS, IL-6, CRP, Lp, and Cyst-C could be the
initial focus for further investigation of physiological markers related to multimorbidity.
