Disease prevention of chronic diseases
Prevention of diabetes
The major preventive measure for diabetes has been identified to be a general change in the lifestyle. The most common type of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. In this type, prevention is vital. Those individuals at higher risk of getting the disease should prioritize the prevention of the disease. One group of individuals who are at high risk of getting the disease includes the overweight ones. The other group includes those with a family history of the particular disease.
The main aspects of disease prevention of diabetes include adopting a healthy diet, being more physically fit and losing some weight. It is never too late to start adopting this lifestyle since a person of any age can adopt it. However, beginning earlier in life is better since it would help one avoid the complications brought about by diabetes later on in life. There are several activities that could be adopted in order to prevent the occurrence of the disease.
Firstly, one can engage in regular physical exercise. There are several benefits that come with this. They include ensuring loss of weight, lowering the blood sugar levels and boosting the sensitivity to insulin. This helps maintain the blood sugar level at the usual range. Research suggests that performing resistance exercises and aerobics help prevent diabetes.
Another way to prevent diabetes is getting plenty of fiber. This helps in improving the blood sugar control hence reducing the risk of diabetes. It also helps lower risks of heart disease. It has also been determined to aid in losing weight. This is because it makes one feel full. Foods with fiber include vegetables and fruits. It is also advised for one to take whole grains in order to prevent risks of diabetes. It helps maintain blood sugar levels.
Losing weight is one of the main ways of preventing diabetes. Diabetes risk is reduced with every kilogram of weight loss. Fad diets have also been determined to increase risks of diabetes. Adopting a healthier diet is advisable.
Prevention of cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease or heart disease can be prevented by adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle. This involves the various things that one engages in. one of the ways of reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease in through avoiding the use of tobacco. The use of tobacco or smoking has been determined to be one of the leading risk factor. This is due to the chemical component in tobacco. They can damage the heart and the blood vessels. This leads to the narrowing of the arteries and may eventually lead to cardiovascular disease.
Another way to prevent cardiovascular disease is by performing regular exercise. One could set aside some time daily for exercise in order to make it regular. Regular exercise will ensure that the body weight is maintained at healthy levels and this helps prevent the development of other complications that may strain the heart. These conditions include diabetes and high blood pressure. Regular exercise also helps reduce stress, which is a risk factor. However, it is important to note that one does not have to engage in strenuous activity. The simple activities such as walking up and down the stairs or taking the dog for a walk are effective.
Adopting a healthy diet is also a great step towards preventing cardiovascular disease. One of the special diets that have been proposed to prevent this disease is the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan. Basically, these include foods low in fat content, salt and cholesterol. Such healthy foods include fruits, vegetables and whole grains, among many others. It is also advisable that one goes for regular health screenings. Some conditions such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure may be impossible to detect without testing. Therefore, one may be suffering from them and may risk damaging the blood vessels and the heart without knowing. Going for screening regularly may help detect the conditions early in advance and prevent heart disease.
Burden of the disease
Diabetes
There are serious physical implications that come with the disease. This causes a burden to the victim. Apart from the physical implications, diabetes management is quite expensive and victims suffer financially. Studies have shown that the prevalence of diabetes in the world is ever increasing. In 2000, it was estimated to be 2.8%. In has been estimated that in 2030 the prevalence would be 4.4%. consequently, this shows that the number of people suffering from the chronic disease will increase continuously.
In the urban areas especially, it is believed that the number of people suffering from diabetes will double by 2030. The proportion of people at high risk of diabetes has also increased. This includes the persons of age 65 and above. A large proportion of people of ages 20 and below have also been reported to suffer from diabetes. In the United States, diabetes has been determined to be the seventh leading killer disease. The lifestyle of individuals living in the urban areas includes taking of junk foods. Such foods are high in fat content and have high levels of cholesterol. These are high-risk food items and this has led to the increased number of deaths related to diabetes.
Persons with diabetes also have an increased risk of getting other serious health problems. With the ever-increasing numbers of diabetes victims, there is a need to increase the number of qualified professional in the field of health in order to help manage the disease. Emphasis is on the initial diagnosis and treatment of the disease. People also need to be educated appropriately in order to know how to prevent the disease.
Cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease is a type of non-communicable disease. Cardiovascular disease together with other lifestyle-related diseases has been determined to cause 50 percent of death around the globe. These diseases only affect a small proportion of the population that includes the middle-aged individuals and the old. It is estimated that at least seventeen million people worldwide die of heart disease. In particular, the deaths are due to strokes and heart attacks.
Epidemiology of cancer
This is a detailed description of the factors affecting cancer. This may refer to the causes and trends of cancer. This may be useful in identifying and developing improved treatments to help curb the disease. Age has been determined to be the greatest risk factor. However, it is unfortunate that the leading cases of cancer deaths around the world are those that are preventable. One of them is tobacco smoking. This has been determined to be correlated to the development of mouth, lung and throat cancer.
Drinking of alcohol may also increase the risks of certain types of cancers. These include breast, oral and esophageal cancer. The diet plan adopted by many individuals also contributes to the increased cases of cancer. This may be in the form of diets low in vegetables and fruits. Obesity is also associated with some type of cancers. Obese people have high risks of endometrial, colon and breast cancer. A particular type of cancer is transmitted sexually. These include the cervical cancer and anal cancer. It is caused when the human papillomavirus is transmitted.
Certain environmental factors and lifestyles have been determined to have an effect on the cancer risks. For example, breast cancer may be caused due to the use of hormone replacement therapy. When one is exposed to certain radiations, it may lead to the development of cancer. These radiations include the ultraviolet and the ionizing radiations. A certain research provided puzzling results concerning death cases due to workplace-related cancer. It concluded that more than 200000 people around the world died of such cases. Those working in areas that may increase the chances of inhaling asbestos fibers have high risks. Others include those exposed to benzene in the place of work. The types of cancers suffered under such conditions include pleural cancer, cancer of the blood and peritoneal mesothelioma.
Cancer is responsible to a number of deaths. In the U.S., it is responsible for 25 percent of all deaths. Thirty percent of the deaths are caused by lung cancer alone. Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men. In women, breast cancer is the commonest. For children, the cancer of the blood is the most common.