It is conceptually easy to define mortality, but morbidity is much fuzzier. It is defined as a disease, but many chronic illnesses such as diabetes, high-blood pressure, or atherosclerosis can be treated with medication and people can lead perfectly normal and satisfactory lives. I take medication for high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which might be termed chronic diseases, but I can do most things I like, including bicycling and hiking. If you simply count diagnoses for diseases as morbidities, then you are not capturing a true picture of whether the person is living a reasonably
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