Chronic Diseases
We are trained in healthcare to treat many chronic diseases that commonly come our way.
Diabetes and hypertension, for example, are two of the diseases we recognize that can be screened for, treated through behavior modifications and medications, and managed to prevent the development of disease-related complication.
We recognize the importance of identifying and managing these diseases to improve quality of life and prevent morbidity and premature mortality. We recognize that preventing complications may also benefit society at large in terms of preventing lost productivity and decreasing healthcare costs.
We have plenty of evidence-based guidelines that help us prevent exacerbations or complications of chronic diseases.
But what if there was a group of diseases just as prevalent as diabetes or hypertension and whose multimodal treatment was similar in efficacy, that was often being overlooked by general internists (who are superbly trained to care for a variety of chronic diseases)?
Are we missing chronic diseases right in front of us?