{"id":306,"date":"2021-03-22T17:24:25","date_gmt":"2021-03-22T17:24:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hvcc-healthpsychology\/?post_type=chapter&p=306"},"modified":"2021-03-31T16:44:16","modified_gmt":"2021-03-31T16:44:16","slug":"chronic-condition","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hvcc-healthpsychology\/chapter\/chronic-condition\/","title":{"raw":"Chronic condition","rendered":"Chronic condition"},"content":{"raw":"A\u00a0chronic condition<\/b>\u00a0is a\u00a0human health<\/a>\u00a0condition or\u00a0disease<\/a>\u00a0that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in\u00a0its effects<\/a>\u00a0or a disease that comes with time. The term\u00a0chronic<\/i>\u00a0is often applied when the\u00a0course<\/a>\u00a0of the disease lasts for more than three months. Common chronic diseases include\u00a0arthritis<\/a>,\u00a0asthma<\/a>,\u00a0cancer<\/a>,\u00a0chronic obstructive pulmonary disease<\/a>,\u00a0diabetes<\/a>,\u00a0Lyme disease<\/a>,autoimmune diseases<\/a>,genetic disorders<\/a>\u00a0and some\u00a0viral diseases<\/a>\u00a0such as\u00a0hepatitis C<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0acquired immunodeficiency syndrome<\/a>. An illness which is lifelong because it ends in death is a\u00a0terminal illness<\/a>. It is possible and not unexpected for an illness to change in definition from terminal to chronic. Diabetes and HIV for example were once terminal yet are now considered chronic due to the availability of insulin for diabetics and daily drug treatment for individuals with HIV which allow these individuals to live while managing symptoms.[1]<\/a><\/sup>\r\n\r\nIn\u00a0medicine<\/a>, a chronic condition can be distinguished from one that is\u00a0acute<\/a>. An acute condition typically affects one portion of the body and responds to treatment. A chronic condition on the other hand usually affects multiple areas of the body, is not fully responsive to treatment, and persists for an extended period of time.[2]<\/a><\/sup>\r\n\r\nChronic conditions may have periods of\u00a0remission<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0relapse<\/a>\u00a0where the disease temporarily goes away, or subsequently reappears. Periods of remission and relapse are commonly discussed when referring to substance abuse disorders which some consider to fall under the category of chronic condition.[3]<\/a><\/sup>\r\n\r\nChronic conditions are often associated with\u00a0non-communicable diseases<\/a>\u00a0which are distinguished by their\u00a0non-infectious<\/a>\u00a0causes. Some chronic conditions though, are caused by transmissible infections such as HIV\/AIDS.\r\n\r\n63% of all death's worldwide are from chronic conditions.[4]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Chronic\u00a0diseases<\/a>\u00a0constitute a major cause of\u00a0mortality<\/a>, and the\u00a0World Health Organization<\/a>\u00a0(WHO) attributes 38 million deaths a year to non-communicable diseases.[5]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0In the United States approximately 40% of adults have at least two chronic conditions.[6]<\/a><\/sup>[7]<\/a><\/sup>\r\n\r\n \r\n

Types<\/span><\/h2>\r\nChronic conditions have often been used to describe the various health related states of the human body such as syndromes, physical impairments, disabilities as well as diseases. Epidemiologists have found interest in chronic conditions due to the fact they contribute to disease, disability, and diminished physical and\/or mental capacity.[8]<\/a><\/sup>\r\n\r\nFor example, high blood pressure or\u00a0hypertension<\/a>\u00a0is considered to be not only a chronic condition itself but also correlated to diseases such as\u00a0heart attack<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0stroke<\/a>. Additionally, some socioeconomic factors may be considered as a chronic condition as they lead to disability in daily life. An important one that public health officials in the social science setting have begun highlighting is\u00a0chronic poverty<\/a>.[9]<\/a><\/sup>[10]<\/a><\/sup>\r\n\r\nResearchers, particularly those studying the United States, utilize the\u00a0Chronic Condition Indicator<\/a>\u00a0(CCI) which maps\u00a0ICD<\/a>\u00a0codes as \"chronic\" or non-chronic\".[11]<\/a><\/sup>\r\n\r\nThe list below includes these chronic conditions and diseases:\r\n\r\nIn 2015 the World Health Organization produced a report on non-communicable diseases, citing the four major types as:[12]<\/a><\/sup>\r\n