Ignorance Is Not Bliss When It Concerns Your Health: Knowing Your Risk For Chronic Diseases Can Help You Stay Well (NAPSA)—Nearly half of the U.S. population has at least one chronic disease, such as heart disease or diabetes. In fact, studies show that chronic diseases are the No. 1 causeof disability and death in the U.S. Chronic diseases are perhaps the most common, costly and preventable health problem of our day—accounting for three out of every four dollars spent on health care. Yet many people living with a chronic disease do not understand how serious their condition is or have tools and information to help them takeaction. Recent data collected from people living with chronic diseases revealed some alarming news: A large percentage of people living with a chronic disease such as asthma or diabetes did not have control of their disease. The findings also showed that people with chronic diseases are not doingall they can to get better and stay healthy. “Closely monitoring and managing a chronic disease with your doctor is crucial to staying healthy and preventing further illness and complications. What’s more, taking small steps towards a healthy lifestyle can help prevent serious diseases in the long run,” said John Robitscher, Executive Director, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD), an organization of public health officials throughout the country. Preventive health screenings, early treatment and regular checkups are good ways for you to take charge of your health. This includes scheduling yearly and disease-specific checkups for the whole family, avoiding tobacco usage and looking to local, state and national health A review of health screenings from over 65,000 Americans who attended free health fairs across the U.S. found that: e Approximately 70 percentof the individuals, whose tests showed thattheir asthma or diabetes was uncontrolled, believed that they werein “excellent” health. 66 to 75 percent ofthese individuals admitted that they had not seen their primary care physician in the last year. @ departments for health information. There is also a newoffering at big5healthcheck.webmd.com to help you find out if you are at risk for developing chronic diseases and provides small steps that you can take to reduce yourrisk. “In this country, we spend more moneyon the cost of a movie ticket or to change the oil in our cars than we do on preventive health measures. Taking steps to better prevent and managechronic diseases has the potential to save lives and money over time,” continued Mr. Robitscher. “But we must change the focus of our health care system from managing sickness to investing in health.” Triple Solution for a Healthier America is a program developed to tackle chronic diseases by educating people on how to makehealthier choices, helping them to manage chronic diseases better, and continuing to research better treatments and cures. To learn more about the steps that you can take to improve your health and for more information about the Triple Solution for a Healthier America program, visit www.ForAHealthierAmerica.com.
