Prevention of chronic diseases: A lifestyle that protects your health in the long term

With the spread of chronic diseases in our present time, the prevention of chronic diseases has become a demand for everyone, to avoid the problems of chronic diseases and prevent serious long-term complications. So what are the means of prevention? How can they be achieved? What is their importance? And above all, what are chronic diseases? We will answer all these questions in the following article.

What are chronic diseases?

Chronic diseases are those illnesses in which the affected person remains ill for life and may develop complications, unlike other diseases, or what is called acute disease, which affects a person for a certain period and then recovers with treatment.

The most common chronic diseases include:

• Type 2 diabetes.
• High blood pressure.
• Obesity.
• Some respiratory diseases like asthma.
• Cardiovascular diseases.

The importance of prevention of chronic diseases

The medical principle always states that prevention is better than cure, and due to the severity of chronic diseases and the difficulty of healing from them after infection, prevention is more protective of health and avoids the risks of these diseases and their resulting complications.

Additionally, prevention of chronic diseases improves the quality of life and prevents the expected treatment costs in case of infection.

Prevention strategies are included in national plans to raise the efficiency of healthcare for individuals, reduce public spending on treatment, and increase productivity resulting from better public health levels.

Effective strategies of prevention of chronic diseases

Anyone can take effective steps toward preventing chronic diseases by adopting a healthy and stable lifestyle, including:

1. Healthy nutrition

Healthy nutrition ensures better immunity and improved health. It includes:

• Eating fruits and vegetables daily.
• Reducing saturated fats and sugars.
• Drinking sufficient amounts of water.
• Choosing whole and fiber-rich foods.

2. Regular physical activity

One of the most important causes of improved public health and the prevention of chronic diseases—especially heart disease, obesity, and diabetes—is increased physical activity and exercise. Here are the top tips in this field:

• Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day improves blood circulation and boosts the burning of excess fat.
• Integrating physical activity into the daily routine (walking, climbing stairs), as this ensures improved blood flow to all body parts and systems.
• Reducing prolonged sitting periods.

3. Avoid smoking

Completely avoid smoking as it causes many chronic diseases and weakens the body’s health. Also, stay away from areas with smokers, as being around them can be just as harmful as smoking itself.

4. Reduce stress and psychological pressure

Reducing stress helps improve the body’s performance, and this can be achieved through:

• Practicing meditation or yoga.
• Allocating time for rest and relaxation.
• Consulting a psychologist if needed.

5. Regular medical checkups

Routine medical checkups help prevent the progression of certain early-stage medical conditions into chronic diseases. Therefore, doctors recommend performing periodic medical tests and checkups regularly, including:

• Regularly measuring blood pressure and blood sugar.
• Early screenings to detect cancer.
• Monitoring weight and body mass index (BMI).
• Some essential lab tests like lipid profile and liver and kidney function tests.

When conducting regular checkups, the doctor can determine the health status of internal organs and the likelihood of developing a disease, which provides an opportunity to change certain habits or take vitamins or medications that can prevent the disease or delay its onset.

Community awareness to promote prevention of chronic disease 

Often, early signs of type 2 diabetes appear as slight elevations in blood sugar levels that do not reach diabetic thresholds, along with some combined symptoms called “insulin resistance.” In such cases, if detected early, the condition can be prevented from developing into actual diabetes by improving dietary habits, increasing physical activity, and taking certain elements that enhance overall body condition, thus preventing the development of diabetes.

This applies to all chronic diseases. Therefore, preventing chronic diseases is not impossible—it only requires community awareness to motivate individuals to monitor and care for their health. Many countries conduct early detection campaigns to prevent the development of chronic diseases and to raise public health levels in society.