The Underutilization of Lifestyle Modifications in Primary Care Medicine

Abstract

C disease currently accounts for the majority of deaths in the United States [1]. Although modern medical treatments exist to combat chronic disease, they are mostly ineffective. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has identified that over 71% of the U.S. population is overweight [2]. Obesity often results in the accumulation of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which drastically decreases quality of life and longevity. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggested that over 31% of adults in the U.S. are living with at least two or more chronic conditions in 2014 [3]. The top two chronic diseases in 2016, cardiovascular disease and cancer, accounted for 45% of the total deaths that year [4]. High infectious disease mortality rates have decreased over time due to the advent of modern medicine. As such, people have been living long enough to accumulate a myriad of chronic diseases. In turn, chronic disease has become the leading cause of death in developed nations [5]. Chronic disease is generally understood as a class of noncommunicable diseases that progress at a slow rate and persist for extended periods of time [6]. Among the top chronic diseases today, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer as having a negative impact internationally [6]. Seven of the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S. are from chronic disease (cardiovascular disease, some cancers, chronic lower respiratory disease, cerebrovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, kidney disease) [4]. One of the root causes behind the recent rise of chronic disease lies buried in the modern lifestyle. A sedentary lifestyle can be a major contributing factor to the onset of chronic disease. Accelerometer data indicated that adults Review Exercise Medicine Open Access eISSN: 2508-9056