Chronic Diseases: Clinical Aspects

A chronic disease is a human condition characterized by a long-lasting and persistent detrimental effect on the human body. It constitutes a major cause of mortality in the world today. Some common chronic diseases in humans are asthma, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, hepatitis C, etc. Chronic conditions can be classified clinically into acute and recurrent conditions. Further, chronic diseases can be categorized as non-communicable or infectious. Various clinical preventive services are available for the detection and diagnosis of chronic diseases. Screening for the presence of a disease or the detection of any predisposition to it, and immunization against infectious agents are some of such preventive measures. Due to the improvement in medical science, there has been considerable extension in the life expectancy, increase in survival rates and provision of better quality of care to people with such diseases. But there can be far simpler and economical solutions for the prevention of chronic diseases. While the risks of developing chronic conditions vary with age and gender, many such conditions are caused due to lifestyle, dietary and metabolic risk factors. Choosing a simple lifestyle can significantly reduce the likelihood of developing chronic diseases. This book contains some path-breaking studies in the area of chronic diseases. It provides significant information of the clinical aspects of chronic diseases to help develop a good understanding of the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. Those with an interest in this field would find this book helpful.