Due to changes in our modern lifestyle, chronic disease has become a serious issue with some staggering statistics. Poor lifestyle choices can have an effect on your health that builds up slowly over time. Chronic diseases are broadly defined by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention (NCCDPHP) as “conditions that last 1 year or more and require ongoing medical attention or limit activities of daily living or both.”1 Cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, as well as poor bone health are some examples of chronic diseases you may have heard of. Here’s a list of some of the most interesting facts from reputable sources on chronic disease:

1. About half of all American adults have one or more preventable chronic disease.2

2. Chronic disease is responsible for 60% of all deaths worldwide.3

3. If major risk factors for chronic disease were eliminated, at least 80% of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes would be prevented, as well as 40% of cancer.3

4. 95% of healthcare costs for older Americans can be attributed to chronic diseases but less than 1% of healthcare dollars are spent on prevention.4

5. Four of the five most expensive health conditions in the United States are chronic conditions- heart disease, cancer, mental disorder, and pulmonary conditions.5

6. Those who die of chronic disease before age 65 lost one-third years of potential life.6

7. It’s a myth that chronic diseases are “diseases of affluence,” as it is known that chronic diseases emerge both in poorer countries and in the poorer population groups in richer countries.

8. It has been projected that by 2020, chronic diseases will account for almost three-quarters of all deaths worldwide.

9. 79% of all deaths worldwide that are attributable to chronic diseases are already occurring in developing countries.

10. By 2020, it’s predicted that 71% of deaths due to ischemic heart disease (IHD), 75% of deaths due to stroke, and 70% of deaths due to diabetes will occur in developing countries.

11. Prevention is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be the most cost-effective, affordable, and sustainable course of action to cope with the global chronic disease epidemic.

12. While age, sex, and genetics are non-modifiable, many risk factors associated with chronic diseases can be changes. These modifiable risk factors include diet, physical activity, weight, and environment.7