Just the other day, while going through my usual morning-exercise routine, I overheard a conversation between two women, on chronic diseases, that reminded me that sometimes, in the communication business, one has to go back to basics.

Chronic diseases, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), are diseases of long duration and, generally, slow progression. These conditions include diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), mental-health problems, respiratory illnesses such as asthma, sickle cell disease, obesity and overweight, cancer and heart problems.

Urbanisation and globalisation

The chronic non-communicable diseases, sometimes referred to as lifestyle diseases, because their onset is often linked to individual lifestyle choices and public-policy decisions on living environment, are the current health burden even as many low- and middle-income countries still grapple with containing infectious or communicable diseases. The experts believe that the unprecedented increase in these conditions is driven by rapid population ageing (more people are living longer), urbanisation and globalisation, which contributes to unhealthy eating, inactive lifestyles and tobacco use, noted risk factors for the development of chronic diseases.

Chronic diseases now dominate the health profile of not only Jamaica but of most of other countries in the world. The data now show that chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes are by far the leading cause of mortality in the world, representing 60 per cent of all deaths. The WHO data indicates that out of the 35 million people who died from chronic diseases in 2005, half were under 70 and were women.

Diabetes and hypertension

It so happens that the Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey 2008 (Wilks et al) was recently published and provides a wealth of information on Jamaica's chronic disease profile. The local researchers report, for example, that there is a high frequency of chronic diseases among Jamaican family members with almost half of people 15 to 74 years old reporting a parent or grandparent with hypertension and one third reporting a parent or grandparent with diabetes. There were also significant reports of a parent, grandparent or sibling with stroke, cancer, diabetes or hypertension.

The survey found that diabetes and hypertension were the chronic diseases most frequently reported by Jamaicans. About 150,000 Jamaicans between 15 and 74 years have diabetes and more than 450,000 in the same age group have hypertension. There is also a pre-hypertensive condition (people a few steps away from diagnosed with hypertension) and as many as one-third of Jamaica's population have this condition. Women reported these conditions more frequently than men. One in 10 Jamaicans also suffer with high cholesterol levels and more than 20 per cent of them meet the criteria for depression, a mental health problem.

Eulalee Thompson is health editor and a professional counsellor; email: eulalee.thompson@gleanerjm.com

Chronic diseases half-truths

Half-truth #1'My grandfather smoked and was overweight - and he lived to 96.'

In any population, there will be a certain number of people who do not demonstrate the typical patterns seen in the vast majority. For chronic diseases, there are two major types:

1. People with many chronic-disease risk factors, who, nonetheless, live healthy and long lives.

2. People with no or few chronic-disease risk factors, who, nonetheless, develop chronic diseases and/or die from complications at a young age.

These people, inevitably, exist but they are rare. The vast majority of chronic diseases can be traced back to the common risk factors and can be prevented by eliminating these risks.

Half-truth #2'Everyone has todie of something.'

Certainly, everyone has to die of something but death does not need to be slow, painful, or premature. Most chronic diseases do not result in sudden death. Rather, they are likely to cause people to become progressively ill and debilitated, especially if their illness is not managed correctly. Death is inevitable but a life of protracted ill-health is not. Chronic-disease prevention and control helps people to live longer and healthier lives.