Multimorbidity - conflicts in decision making in cardiac rehabilitation

From the standpoint of a cardiologist one could define multimorbidity as a cardiovascular disease associated with various severe unrelated diseases. I n case of comorbidity several minor unrelated diseases are associated, Card iovascular multimorbidity is defined as a disease-entity involving the enti re cardiovascular system, Finally, if there is disease of different structu res of the heart itself this could be called cardiac multimorbidity, With i ncreasing disabilities and handicaps diagnostic and therapeutic efforts wil l increase as well as costs despite limited ressources, This again will bri ng up conflicts between diagnostic and/or therapeutic priorities which will be described in more details, In caring for the multimorbid patient in car diac rehabilitation the physician and the therapeutic team should set the r ight diagnostic and therapeutic priorities without neglecting the concept o f comprehensive care.