Certain illnesses may put you at risk of having another — a so-called partner condition — come along for the ride. For instance, high blood pressure may help boost diabetes risks. Researchers aren’t always certain why some medical issues appear to lead to others. It may be that one disease causes another or that underlying health factors create circumstances that make it more likely you’ll develop both, says Leslie Farland, Sc.D., assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Arizona.
