Table 5. Top 10 Comorbidities, by Sex

Comorbidity* Nonobstetric female patients Male patients
 Total number of discharges with this procedure category, in thousands (percent of discharges)
Hypertension 4,941 (35.3) 3,614 (31.2)
Diabetes 2,522 (18.0) 2,106 (18.2)
Fluid and electrolyte disorders 2,101 (15.0) 1,445 (12.5)
Chronic lung disease 2,051 (14.6) 1,826 (15.7)
Deficiency anemias 1,385 (9.9) 918 (7.9)
Hypothyroidism 1,350 (9.6)  
Cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat) 1,260 (9.0) 1,069 (9.2)
Congestive heart failure 1,151 (8.2) 820 (7.1)
Solid tumor without metastasis 845 (6.0) 779 (6.7)
Depression 839 (6.0)  
Alcohol abuse   630 (5.4)
Peripheral vascular disease (hardening of the arteries)   550 (4.7)

*Comorbidities can make a hospital stay more expensive and complicated. They are coexisting medical conditions that are not directly related to the principal diagnosis, or the main reason for admission, and are likely to have originated prior to the hospital stay.

Source: Elixhauser A, Steiner C, Harris DR, et al. Comorbidity measures for use with administrative data. Medical Care 1998; 36(1):8-27.

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