What is Chronic Disease?

			
			
			

			     
     ashley 
"My family has a history of heart disease, so I am taking the steps to lower my risk. I try to watch what I eat and get regular exercise, and I make sure to visit my doctor at least once a year. I try to encourage my family members to do the same."
-Ashley


			

			

				
				
Chronic disease refers to diseases that last a long time, usually more than three months. Sometimes chronic diseases can be cured. Other times, the symptoms of chronic diseases never go away, or they exist for awhile and then go away, only to come back months or years later. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic diseases affect 90 million Americans and are the leading causes of death and disability in the U.S. 

The good news is that you can control or manage many chronic diseases, and prevent them from worsening or causing bigger health problems. And, in many cases, you can prevent chronic diseases from ever developing by making small changes in your daily routine.
Is chronic disease a problem?
On a national level, it is estimated that the cost of chronic diseases is more than $1.4 trillion or 75 percent of Americans’ medical costs according to the CDC.