A Look at Chronic Disease

Our first challenge is to obtain a suitable definition of the term "chronic disease." The World Health Organization asserts that the term is synonymous with "noncommunicable diseases," noting that they are of long duration and generally slow progression. WHO further identifies the four main types as cardiovascular diseases; cancers; chronic respiratory diseases; and diabetes. Given this roster, it is hardly surprising that chronic disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide -- representing 60 percent of all deaths. The CDC's list is slightly different, and includes obesity and arthritis. According to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, a chronic disease is one lasting three months or more. In general, they cannot be prevented by vaccines or cured by medication, nor do they just disappear. Let's go with that one. Inasmuch as 88 percent of Americans over 65 have at least one chronic condition, it is easy enough to blame these afflictions on aging. However, plenty of younger folks engage in unhealthy practices such as tobacco use, lack of physical activity, and poor eating habits; and plenty of people much younger than 65 have chronic conditions, as well. Unfortunately, too many seniors are discovering that following the conventional precepts of a healthy lifestyle hardly guarantees that they will be exempt. Perhaps the best known example is the death (1998) -- at age 56 -- of Linda McCartney. As a strict vegetarian, wealthy enough to embrace what...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news