Chronic Disease in the Twentieth Century: A HistoryAging Bones: A Short History of Osteoporosis

Abstract

Chronic diseases have become one of the most important problems of the twenty-first century. In 2010, they comprised seven of the top ten causes of death, afflicted half of all U.S. adults, and accounted for the majority of healthcare expenditures.1 Yet, the problem of chronic disease remains elusive. Chronic conditions are incredibly varied, ranging from asthma to arthritis, from cancers to epilepsy. They are often called “noncommunicable,” yet many infectious diseases such as hepatitis and tuberculosis are considered both communicable and chronic. They can occur in anyone at any time, but as Gerald Grob points out, they are increasingly likely at older ages. Although they have become the target of recent health campaigns in the developing world, George Weisz documents how the concept of chronic disease was uniquely potent for American policymakers. While massive resources have been poured into solving them, chronic diseases remain one of the most expansive, and unresolved, problems of medicine and policy... the changing relationships between aging and chronic disease and the unresolved tensions between chronic disease and disability.