The rise in the number of people aged 65 years and older living with inflammatory rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis is causing considerable challenges for clinicians. As patients get older, they are at an increased risk of multiple chronic diseases, a situation termed multimorbidity. Multimorbidity inevitably drives polypharmacy, where by a patient requires treatment with multiple medications. In addition, advancing age, multimorbidity and polypharmacy all place a patient at an increased risk of developing geriatric syndromes, which are clinical conditions in older people that do not fit into disease categories and include malnutrition, sarcopenia and frailty. Geriatric syndromes further increase the risk of adverse outcomes, including the accrual of additional morbidity, nursing home admission and mortality. Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases are especially prone to developing geriatric syndromes. Some predisposing risk factors for geriatric syndromes, such as joint swelling and functional limitations, are also inherent to rheumatic inflammatory disease itself. The frequent coexistence of multimorbidity, polypharmacy and geriatric syndromes in this patient group requires individually tailored interventions to preserve patient independence and overall functioning. To prepare for the changing demography, rheumatologists should gain more insight into the implications of multimorbidity, polypharmacy and geriatric syndromes for the management of older patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases.

65 岁及以上患有类风湿性关节炎等炎症性风湿病的人数不断增加，这给临床医生带来了相当大的挑战。随着患者年龄的增长，他们患多种慢性病的风险增加，这种情况被称为多发病。多重发病不可避免地推动了多种药物治疗，即一名患者需要使用多种药物进行治疗。此外，高龄、多种疾病和多种药物治疗都会增加患者患老年综合症的风险，老年综合症是老年人的临床症状，不属于疾病类别，包括营养不良、肌肉减少症和虚弱。老年综合症进一步增加了不良后果的风险，包括增加额外的发病率、入住疗养院和死亡率。患有炎症性风湿病的患者特别容易患上老年综合症。一些老年综合征的诱发危险因素，如关节肿胀和功能受限，也是风湿性炎症疾病本身固有的。在这一患者群体中，多种病症、多种药物治疗和老年综合征的频繁共存需要个体化的干预措施，以保持患者的独立性和整体功能。为了应对不断变化的人口结构，风湿病学家应该更深入地了解多发病、多药治疗和老年综合征对老年炎症性风湿病患者管理的影响。关节肿胀和功能受限等，也是风湿性炎症疾病本身所固有的。在这一患者群体中，多种病症、多种药物治疗和老年综合征的频繁共存需要个体化的干预措施，以保持患者的独立性和整体功能。为了应对不断变化的人口结构，风湿病学家应该更深入地了解多发病、多药治疗和老年综合征对老年炎症性风湿病患者管理的影响。关节肿胀和功能受限等，也是风湿性炎症疾病本身所固有的。在这一患者群体中，多种病症、多种药物治疗和老年综合征的频繁共存需要个体化的干预措施，以保持患者的独立性和整体功能。为了应对不断变化的人口结构，风湿病学家应该更深入地了解多发病、多药治疗和老年综合征对老年炎症性风湿病患者管理的影响。