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Common Chronic Diseases
Cardiovascular Disease.
Stroke.
Lung Cancer.
Colorectal Cancer.
Depression.
Type 2 Diabetes.
Arthritis.
Osteoporosis.
Asthma
Obesity
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Chronic Kidney Disease
Oral Disease
Common Stresses of Chronic Diseases
Chronic or long-term illness and its treatment pose special problems. People living with CD need to
Deal with the treatments
Make sure to understand the condition and management strategies
Maintain emotional balance to cope with negative feelings
Maintain confidence and a positive self-image.
Comorbidity of Chronic Diseases
Comorbidity refers to the occurrence of two or more conditions or diseases in a person at one time. Chronic conditions often occur together.
In Australia, like many nations, the rate is higher for:
People aged 65 and over (60%) compared with people aged 0–44 (9.7%)
Females (25%) compared with males (21%)
People in the lowest socioeconomic areas (30%) compared with those in the highest socioeconomic areas (19%)
People living in Regional and Remote areas (28%) compared with those in Major cities (21%).
The most common comorbidity is arthritis with cardiovascular disease (7.4%), followed by arthritis with back pain and problems (5.1%), and back pain and problems with cardiovascular disease (5.0%). Some chronic diseases may act as a precursor or as a risk factor for other chronic diseases. eg diabetes is known to be a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease; asthmatics are at greater risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease later in life.
Management / Interventions
Chronic Diseases including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes – kill 41 million people every year. Prevention and investment in chronic diseases are important.
Investing in better management of chronic diseases is critical.
Management of chronic diseases includes detecting, screening and treating these diseases and providing access to palliative care for people in need.
High impact essential chronic diseases interventions can be delivered through a primary health care approach to strengthening early detection and timely treatment.
There is mounting evidence that nutrition plays an important role in the aetiology and management of chronic diseases.
Nutrition counselling provides a strategy for not only reducing patient suffering but also for reducing the health care costs associated with these illnesses. Therefore Dietitians should be consulted for nutrition counselling most-especially in nutrition-related chronic diseases.
Evidence shows such interventions are excellent economic investments because, if provided early to patients, they can reduce the need for the more expensive treatment.
Countries with inadequate health insurance coverage are unlikely to provide universal access to essential chronic diseases interventions.
Chronic diseases management interventions are essential for achieving the global target of a 25% relative reduction in the risk of premature mortality from chronic diseases by 2025, and the sustainable development goals (SDGs) target of a one-third reduction in premature deaths from CDs by 2030. WHO, in their publication titled "Integrating the response to mental disorders and other chronic diseases in health care systems", describes three governing principles for an integrated response to mental disorders and other chronic diseases in health systems.
A genuinely public health approach is needed. This includes a focus on disease prevention and health promotion over the life course, as well as the provision of accessible, comprehensive, and coordinated services to those with identified needs.
A systems approach is key and involves good governance, appropriate resourcing, and timely information, as well as the actual delivery of health services or technologies.
A whole-of-government, the multisectoral approach is required. Tackling the health, social, and economic consequences of mental disorders and other chronic diseases is not something that the health sector can or should do alone.
Physiotherapy and Chronic Disease
Physiotherapist play roles both in the prevention and management of chronic diseases. Their roles include and are not limited to:
Prescription and implementation of therapeutic exercise at an individual or group level, and lead exercise and education classes for people who have been diagnosed or with chronic diseases.
Management of people with chronic lung diseases including asthma through exercise prescription and cardio-pulmonary rehabilitation.
Prescription of exercise therapy to improve glucose control in people with or at risk of developing diabetes.
Cardiac rehabilitation programs for people with various forms of heart diseases.
Provision of interventions including therapeutic exercise to reduce the risk of osteoporotic fracture.
Health promotion and education that takes place in a variety of settings, ranging from one on one consultations to formal group education sessions including disease-specific self-management classes, education on lifestyle modifications such as smoking cessation, reduction of alcohol intake, pain and fatigue management.
Conclusion
Chronic diseases are already the major cause of death in almost all countries, and the threat to people’s lives, their health and the economic development of their countries is growing fast.
Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disease burden worldwide, in all WHO regions except Africa.
Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death in all World Bank income groups (four income groups — high, upper-middle, lower-middle, and low).
The death and burden of disease rates are similar in men and women and increase with age.
Chronic disease death rates are higher in low and middle-income countries than in high-income countries.
Some 45% of chronic disease deaths and 86% of the burden of chronic diseases occur in people under 70 years of age.
The knowledge exists to deal with this threat and to save millions of lives.
Effective and cost-effective interventions, and the knowledge to implement them, have been shown to work in many countries.
If existing interventions are used together as part of a comprehensive, integrated approach, the global goal for preventing chronic diseases can be achieved. The question is how governments, the private sector and civil society can work together to put such approaches into practice.
