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A chronic condition is a human health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects.[1] The term chronic is usually applied when the course of the disease lasts for more than three months.[1] Common chronic diseases include arthritis, asthma, cancer, COPD, diabetes and AIDS. In medicine, the opposite of chronic is acute. A chronic course is further distinguished from a recurrent course; recurrent diseases relapse repeatedly, with periods of remission in between. The non-communicable diseases are also usually lasting medical conditions but are separated by their non-infectious causes. In contrast, some chronic diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, are caused by transmissible infections. Chronic diseases constitute a major cause of mortality and the World Health Organization (WHO) reports chronic non-communicable conditions to be by far the leading cause of mortality in the world, representing 35 million deaths in 2005 and over 60% of all deaths.[1] Chronic illnesses cause about 70% of deaths in the US and in 2002 chronic conditions (heart disease, cancers, stroke, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, mental illness and kidney diseases) were 6 of the top ten causes of mortality in the general US population.[2] 90% of seniors have at least one chronic disease, and 77% have two or more chronic conditions.[3] For most people, medical conditions do not impair normal activities. Types Examples of chronic diseases and health conditions include: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases Autoimmune diseases, such as ulcerative colitis, lupus erythematosus, Crohn's Disease and Coeliac Disease Blindness Cancer / neoplastic diseases not amenable to be cured Cardiovascular diseases: cerebrovascular disease, heart failure, ischemic cardiopathy Myalgic encephalomyelitis Chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) Chronic hepatitis Cerebral palsy (all types) |
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