The Promise of Digital Health in the Fight against Noncommunicable Diseases

September 06, 2018Could activity trackers help stem the global tide of hypertension?Noncommunicable diseases, or NCDs,  kill 41 million people around the world each year, including 15 million whodie prematurely because of them. But did you know that 85% of these premature deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries?Also known as chronic diseases, NCDs include pulmonary/respiratory disease, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. They are often preventable and develop gradually. There are several risk factors for NCDs, including hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, obesity, and unhealthy lifestyle and diet.But the biggest risk factor is hypertension.Hypertension —high or elevated blood pressure—is measured at systolic pressure above 130 mmHg and diastolic pressure above 80 mmHg. Hypertension accounts for 19% of global deaths, and it is theleading risk factor for developing NCDs.  NCDs have been an issue in  the US for decades, and now they ' re  an issue globally.When I was a practicing pharmacist in the US, I met many clients suffering from NCDs. For some clients it would take months to determine the best medication therapy to avoid side effects and reach optimal therapy. Through conversations with clients and lectures by my professors when I returned to school to pursue global health, I quickly realized many more people were suffering in other countries.NCDs have been an issue in high-income countries, like the US, for decades, but now, they are a growing issu...
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: news