Here's What It Actually Means to Have a Chronic Disease

Kaitlin Vogel
·5 min read
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Whether it’s heart disease, cancer, stroke or diabetes, 6 in 10 adults have a chronic disease. Even more alarming, 4 in 10 people have two or more.

With chronic diseases affecting more and more people each year, it’s important to be aware of what causes these health conditions and the steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing them.

What Does It Mean to Have a Chronic Disease?

A chronic disease is a condition that lasts for an extended period of time and requires ongoing medical treatment. Typically, these illnesses have no cure, however, many are treatable and manageable through tools like integrative and functional medicine, Dr. Casey Kelley, MD, ABoIM, Founder and Medical Director at Case Integrative Health, explains.

Additionally, many patients suffering from a chronic disease find that it severely impacts their day-to-day, even impeding their mobility or preventing them from working. It’s important to remember that many chronic diseases are what we refer to as “invisible illnesses,” Dr. Kelley adds. That is, they are not immediately apparent externally but continue to impact the patient’s daily life. Remember that someone’s appearance does not always accurately represent their internal health.

Dr. William Soliman, PhD, BCMAS, founder and CEO of the Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs, explains that having a chronic disease usually means that it's a progressive disease that worsens over time. Individuals with chronic disease have the disease for at least one or more years. 

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Causes of Chronic Diseases

There are many different chronic diseases, each with its own respective cause.

Affecting roughly 21 million Americans, one common chronic disease is type 2 diabetes, where your body doesn’t properly use insulin (also known as insulin resistance). This leads to blood sugar building up in the bloodstream, damaging parts of your body, Dr. Kelley states. Those with type 2 diabetes are often at a greater risk of stroke, kidney disease and blindness without proper management. You can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by maintaining a healthy weight, leading an active lifestyle and eating a balanced and low-carb diet.

While rarer than type 2 diabetes, Crohn's disease is a chronic disease affecting over 700,000 Americans. Crohn's is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation in your digestive tract, leading to abdominal pain, fatigue and malnutrition. There is no known cause of Crohn’s disease, although genetics and environment both likely play a factor, Dr. Kelley explains. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Crohn’s disease, and symptoms can be debilitating and even life-limiting. However, many patients find that with the proper treatment they can achieve at least temporary remission, and improve their quality of life.

Finally, one under-thought of chronic disease is depression. Unfortunately, when we think of chronic disease, we often neglect to remember that it includes mental illness as well. Major depressive disorder is a mood disorder causing persistent feelings of sadness and apathy, and it affects over 17 million Americans.

Depression has many causes, from genetics and faulty brain chemistry to adverse life events. While depression may occur just once, most patients typically find that it recurs periodically throughout life, Dr. Kelley states. Unfortunately, there is no “cure” for depression. However, individuals can usually manage the condition with the proper medication and therapeutic team.

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The most common cause of chronic disease is lifestyle, Dr. Soliman, explains. For example, sedentary individuals are more likely to develop chronic heart disease than those that exercise. The other major factors are environmental and genetic. Individuals with a strong family history of certain types of cancer, for example, colon cancer, may be more prone to developing colon cancer earlier than other patients.

How to Reduce Your Risk of Developing a Chronic Disease

Chronic disease is a huge category, and while some can be prevented, some are simply due to the genetic lottery, infection or something else. However, you can take steps in your daily life to maximize your health and minimize your likelihood of developing some of these conditions.

Stop drinking and smoking

First, do the most obvious: Quit smoking, and ensure that you aren’t drinking too much alcohol. Both smoking and alcohol consumption are linked to various cancers, high blood pressure, and heart disease, Dr. Kelley explains.

Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet

Do what you can to consume a nutritious diet and make sure that you’re incorporating movement into your life, Dr. Kelley states. Both of these will help you maintain a healthy weight and prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Get enough sleep

Another step you can take is to establish a healthy sleep schedule. Insufficient sleep can lead to a host of chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, as well as depression, says Dr. Kelley.

Engage in physical activity

Regular exercise and movement play a very important role in reducing the risk of developing chronic illness.

You don’t have to be a gym member to do this—simple things like regular walks after dinner or a nightly yoga routine can greatly reduce your risks, Dr. Kelley explains.

Find healthy coping mechanisms for stress

Stress management is crucial when it comes to protecting yourself from illness.

Mental health is just as important as physical health, so make sure to invest in self-care, and seek treatment if you are struggling, Dr. Kelley states. While there is no 100% prevention method for chronic disease, mitigating risk behaviors and incorporating healthy alternatives will help you decrease your risk over time.

Next up: Can Lifestyle Changes Actually Reverse—Not Just Prevent or Treat—Chronic Diseases?

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