Study Finds Most Older Australians Live With Multiple Long-Term Health Conditions
08 Jul 2026
The national study, led by the University of Sydney and published in the Medical Journal of Australia, examined the health records of more than 4.4 million older Australians. Researchers found that 76% had at least two chronic conditions, while around one in three were managing five or more.
Instead of developing randomly, many long-term illnesses were found to occur in three common groups. These included cardiovascular and metabolic conditions such as high blood pressure, heart failure and diabetes; neuropsychiatric and functional conditions including depression, anxiety and chronic pain; and a third group involving inflammatory diseases, osteoporosis, chronic airway disease and cancer.
Researchers said the findings provide a clearer picture of how chronic illnesses affect older Australians and show that health outcomes differ across age groups and socioeconomic backgrounds. They believe the results highlight the need for more connected healthcare services.
Study author Associate Professor Edwin Tan said living with several chronic conditions has become common among older Australians, making it important for health services to better understand how these illnesses occur together when planning future care.
RACGP Specific Interests Aged Care Chair Dr Anthony Marinucci said general practitioners are well placed to coordinate care because they manage a patient's overall health rather than focusing on a single disease.
However, he said this role requires stronger support, noting that the current Medicare funding model is largely designed around treating individual health problems instead of managing complex, long-term conditions.
Dr Marinucci also believes the true number of older Australians living with multiple chronic illnesses may be higher than reported because the study relied on Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme records, which may not capture every diagnosed or untreated condition.
The research also found that all three disease groups were more common in socially disadvantaged communities, pointing to ongoing health inequalities across Australia. Meanwhile, lower rates reported in remote areas may reflect reduced access to healthcare rather than better health outcomes.
Among individual conditions, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease were the most frequently recorded. Dr Marinucci said the neuropsychiatric group, which includes depression, dementia, pain and incontinence, is particularly concerning because it is closely linked to loss of independence and greater demand for aged care services.
He said improving care for older Australians will require longer GP consultations, better funding for multidisciplinary care, and stronger support for practice nurses and care coordinators. He also called for improved GP-led healthcare services for people living in residential aged care.
Study Finds Most Older Australians Live With Multiple Long-Term Health Conditions
Source: Medical Journal of Australia; RACGP NewsGP