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Chronic disease level

Clinicians may use their intuition to assign women to a chronic disease level category. Below are how the scientists who provided data for this website defined each category:

None (has none of the diseases below)

Low (has one of the diseases below):

  • Heart attack
  • Stomach or intestinal ulcer
  • Rheumatologic disease (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, polymyositis, polymyalgia, rheumatica, systemic sclerosis)

Moderate (has one of the diseases below):

  • Diabetes (without any other chronic condition listed below)
  • Peripheral vascular disease
  • Aortic aneurysm
  • Paralysis
  • Stroke

High

  • Diabetes (with any chronic condition below or listed under “moderate”)
  • COPD/emphysema
  • Congestive heart failure (CHF)
  • Chronic kidney disease or is on dialysis
  • Moderate or severe liver disease or has cirrhosis
  • Dementia
  • AIDS
  • Multiple significant conditions