**Conflict of interest**

*An Overview and Management of Multiple Chronic Conditions*

manage their health.

autonomy, and general function.

time to face multimorbidity.

integrated patient-centered care programmes.

with multimorbidity. As described by Duffield and colleagues [53], people with multimorbidity are often required to carry out numerous tasks to maintain their health. The responsibilities listed by the authors include managing different tablets to be taken at specific times of day, week, or only occasionally; keeping stock of their pills, creams, inhalers, and injections; requesting repeat prescriptions on time; visiting the pharmacy to collect items; performing non-pharmacological treatments such as physiotherapy or other complementary interventions; and monitoring treatment effectiveness with regular lab analyses, physical tests, and medical appointments [53]. The time and effort required to remember and attend these appointments, including travel time, may require an additional treatment burden placed upon the individual [84]. Having a RMD as part of multimorbidity makes all of these activities even more difficult. People with arthritis report great difficulty or inability to grasp small objects; reach above one's head; sit more than 2 hours; lift or carry 10 pounds; climb a flight of stairs; push a heavy object; walk a 1/4 mile; stand for more than 2 hours; and stoop, bend, or kneel [95]. As a result of restricted mobility and function, having a RMD can hamper the execution of many of the tasks required in multimorbidity care, limiting people's ability to

The impact of RMDs on patients and society should be acknowledged, as they are mostly non-fatal conditions with great effects at older ages. Regardless of the multimorbidity definition applied, musculoskeletal conditions are a common component of multimorbidity [51], and most working-age adults who met the definition of multimorbidity had a musculoskeletal condition [96]. This is an important finding because the strategies to include and classify musculoskeletal conditions within multimorbidity research have been inconsistent. Policy makers and public health teams should be aware of the importance of musculoskeletal health. Frequently, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis are seen as a natural consequence of aging and back pain as normal in working ages. The importance of early appropriate treatment for many musculoskeletal conditions in order to prevent chronicity and to reduce disability is undervalued. Often, adherence to treatment plans is less than optimal since patients are typically given little information about their condition; and many have misconceptions about treatments [97]. However, it is important to understand that even if the condition itself cannot be suppressed, health professionals can contribute to improve the patient's general well-being, quality of life, independence,

Governments and public health teams along with healthcare stakeholders should take multimorbidity into account when designing, implementing, and evaluating public health education, programmes, and campaigns. They should identify and understand the needs and requirements of people living with multimorbidity (and with RMDs in particular) in their populations. They should also identify, prioritize, and target adverse health outcomes. They should acknowledge that targeting risk factors can potentially reduce the burden of multimorbidity in the long term. It is

In conclusion, although population aging has been a remarkable achievement of public health and clinical medicine, it poses great challenges that can only be overcome if clinicians, researchers, and policy makers are aware of the complexity of multimorbidity, which needs specialization, but also a holistic approach to ensure that patients receive coordinated care. However, more studies on RMDs and multimorbidity are still needed. Further evidence may help to better understand reasons for poorer health in certain groups and to aid their disease management. It may also contribute to assess the effect of multimorbidity on long-term outcomes, to identify prognostic factors, to develop effective interventions, and to support

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All authors have declared that no conflict of interest exists.
