Home › Research › Cognitive tests and assessment
A new method of classifying prognostic comorbidity in longitudinal studies: Development and validation
Mary E. Charlson, Peter Pompei, Kathy L. Aleš, C. Ronald MacKenzie. Journal of Chronic Diseases, 1987
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
This study developed and validated a weighted index to classify comorbid conditions and estimate the risk of mortality for use in longitudinal studies. The index accounts for both the number and the seriousness of comorbid diseases. Results showed that higher comorbidity index scores corresponded to stepwise increases in cumulative mortality attributable to comorbid disease.
Key findings
- A weighted index that takes into account the number and the seriousness of comorbid disease was developed in a cohort of 559 medical patients.
- With each increased level of the comorbidity index, there were stepwise increases in the cumulative mortality attributable to comorbid disease.
- In this longer follow-up, age was also a predictor of mortality.
- The new index performed similarly to a previous system devised by Kaplan and Feinstein.
Why it matters
Describes the development and validation of a new method for classifying prognostic comorbidity (other illnesses a person has) in longitudinal studies.
How this study scored 48/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on strength of evidence, so that was left out: it earned 46 of the 95 points we could judge it on, which is 48 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Chronic Diseases) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Chronic Diseases: journal h-index 166 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | — / 5 | No evidence rating recorded — left out of this score |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1987 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 7 / 7 | Cited 49,823 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 1,215.2 citations a year over 41 year(s) since 1987 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 9.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 8,692 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author C. Ronald MacKenzie: h-index 25 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Cornell University: institution h-index 1,649 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 3558716) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 46 / 95 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 46 of the 95 points we could judge it on is 48 out of 100. |
| Total | 48 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Charlson, M. E., Pompei, P., Aleš, K. L., & MacKenzie, C. R. (1987). A new method of classifying prognostic comorbidity in longitudinal studies: Development and validation. Journal of Chronic Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9681(87)90171-8
Vancouver
Charlson ME, Pompei P, Aleš KL, MacKenzie CR. A new method of classifying prognostic comorbidity in longitudinal studies: Development and validation. Journal of Chronic Diseases. 1987. doi:10.1016/0021-9681(87)90171-8. PMID: 3558716.
BibTeX
@article{charlson1987-3558716,
author = {Charlson, Mary E. and Pompei, Peter and Aleš, Kathy L. and MacKenzie, C. Ronald},
title = {{A new method of classifying prognostic comorbidity in longitudinal studies: Development and validation}},
journal = {Journal of Chronic Diseases},
year = {1987},
doi = {10.1016/0021-9681(87)90171-8},
pmid = {3558716},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9681(87)90171-8}
}
Related studies in Cognitive tests and assessment
Also in Cognitive tests and assessment
88 studies in the library are filed under Cognitive tests and assessment with no topic tag they share with another; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed tour of them. The Cognitive tests and assessment hub.