Chronic Disease Research Paper

The publics idea of health has evolved over the decades, similar to fashion in that it is continuously morphing and even trends have resurrected with new twists. Recent developments have seen widespread awareness of the importance of regular exercise and many benefits of a balanced diet. Yet despite the plethora of health and fitness methods and resources, the general population has never been so physically sedentary and out of shape. According to the national center for health statistics, America life expectancy has declined despite advances in the fitness industry, concerns over secondary conditions such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes has created an urgency of public health officials as they try to mandate new strategies to fight this national epidemic.

As a former college athlete and the daughter of a veteran, I was always infatuated with the idea of staying physically fit. However, when I began working as a medical scribe at a Family Medicine clinic and interacting with many patients living with a pattern of chronic illnesses such as Diabetes Mellitus and Coronary Artery Disease, I realized that many people did not share these same ideas and passion for physical activity and disease and injury prevention. Talking to these patients and their families, I realized that most of their diseases were life threatening and costly, yet what if these patients had taken steps to prevent their illnesses through exercise and diet, would heart disease still be the leading cause of death in the U.S. today? If we could lessen tobacco prevalence,

Insufficient physical activity is one the leading risk factors for global mortality. Physical activity not only contributes to wellbeing, it is essential for good health. Increasing physical activity levels can help prevent or manage many conditions and diseases; this includes coronary heart disease, diabetes, some cancers and obesity along with improving mental health. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), physical activity is any bodily movement by muscles that requires energy expenditure.

The highest leading cause of death for men and women within the United States is heart disease. The number of deaths for heart disease is 611,105; this is more than half of a million lives being claimed by heart disease. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Leading Causes of Death). This disease tends to be preventable, even though it’s the highest cause of death. In order to prevent one self from having a heart disease, individuals should take the right precautions throughout their everyday lives to reduce the risk of contracting different types of heart diseases; one of the best ways to prevent heart diseases is to engage in exercise. Heart disease involves the blood vessels becoming narrow in the body, which causes restriction

Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases are a growing problem around the world today. Not only do diseases such as diabetes and heart disease affect individuals and their lifestyles, they also affect the economy, politics, education and the professional work environment. 20-26% of individuals in the United States live with heart disease, and obesity and high blood pressure compose the greatest factors for developing this disease [20]. Studies have shown a direct correlation between the amount of sedentary time and cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk, regardless of baseline measurements [20]. Thus, increase in physical activity will decrease cardiometabolic risk factors [8]. Several studies indicate a positive correlation between physical activity and decreased cardiometabolic risk markers [2,4,11,16]. However, we now know that an individual who is getting the recommended physical activity per day can still have a large amount of sedentary time.

Exercise and physical activity are a great way to feel better, gain health benefits and have more energy (summarize main points)

The leading causes of death in the United States is heart disease. Heart disease is classified as a chronic disease. Chronic diseases are long-lasting conditions that can be controlled but not cured. Overall chronic diseases account for about 70% of deaths in the United States. The most common examples of chronic diseases include diabetes, heart disease, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, and high blood pressure. Though chronic diseases are shown to be the major cause of death around the world, they can easily be prevented. One of the easiest ways to prevent majority of chronic diseases is to exercise (The Center for Managing Chronic Disease). By exercising at a minimum of 20 minutes a day at a moderate intensity people can reduce the risks of developing a chronic disease therefore increasing their life expectancy.

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the United States, causing about 610,000 deaths yearly (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Cardiovascular disease is defined as a group of disorders damaging the heart and blood vessels, usually involving the blockage of vessels, which in turn harm the heart (WHO, 2015). A 2011 American Heart Association statement predicted that without intervention, 40% of United States adults will have at least one form of Cardiovascular disease by 2030. A large portion of these deaths by cardiovascular disease is due to the sedentary population. To better prevent cardiovascular disease, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee stated that adults should complete about 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity weekly (Barry, Blair, Church, Hooker, Sui, Warren, 2010). Research has shown that meeting these recommendations is linked with lower cardiovascular disease risk, as well as reduced risk of mortality. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that only about 20.3% of Americans meet these guidelines. These statistics show that the majority of the United States population does not get nearly the amount of physical activity they need. However, even though many people are not doing the recommended amount of physical activity, this may not mean that they are living a sedentary life. Living a sedentary lifestyle is

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2015, June 20). Exercise and chronic disease: Get the facts. Retrieved from

Along with a healthy diet, physical activity has also been found to reduce risk factors for chronic diseases like hypertension and osteoporosis and even lower mortality

When reading this article, it sets out to introduce the crucial role that daily physical activity does for the body and how it relates to gene. At one point in time, physical inactivity and a poor diet was not considered to be a cause of chronic diseases. In today’s times though, the CDC declared that it is an actual cause of chronic disease and is the second leading cause of death in the U.S., at 12.5%. What is startling and well-known, is that many chronic diseases such as type II diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers can be prevented with exercise, yet so many people don’t.

The benefits of physical exercise in humans far outweighs the harmful effects associated with exercise. A prescription of physical activity has been known to delay the onset or prevention of many chronic diseases. An improvement in heart function, lower blood pressure and improve functional capacity is noticed after just a few weeks of exercising. Physical activity will also result in an increase of lean muscle mass, promote weight maintenance, increased flexibility, and a generally stronger more fit individual. Conversely, exercise when preformed strenuously or obsessively can counteract such positive effects, bringing up some issues like oxidative stresses, injuries, and

of physical exertion. Regular physical activity has significant health benefits, and even modest increases in energy expenditure can have health enhancing effects.

Physical Activity is undeniably good for everyone, not only does it keep you fit and healthy but when started at a young age, it can set up good habits for life. Sometimes however, people do not take care of their physical wellbeing, resulting in obesity and other eating disorders which can be detrimental to their health.

Adding exercises into one’s daily routines can change their whole lifestyle. Many people look at exercise as being something just for people who want to lose weight or to become muscle bound, but there are a great deal of benefits that can be received from exercising regularly. Of course gaining muscle and losing fat are the two most popular reasons that usually attract people to the gym, but they make up a small part of the potential benefits that can be achieved with exercise. There are several ways in which I have benefited in my life from exercising regularly, besides just making me bigger and stronger. It has made me become more organized, helped me make better decisions, and motivated me to take on new challenges in life.