What are chronic diseases?
Chronic diseases are generally conditions that last a year or longer and require ongoing care. Chronic conditions include:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Lung disease
- Stroke
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Kidney disease
Although cancer, heart disease, and diabetes are the leading causes of death in the U.S., chronic care management can help you live a long life with these conditions.
What increases my risk of getting a chronic condition?
Engaging in certain behaviors can put you at greater risk for many chronic conditions. These behaviors include:
- Tobacco use or exposure to secondhand smoke
- Lack of physical activity
- Excessive alcohol consumption
Poor nutrition may also raise your risk. In contrast, adults who eat a healthy diet not only live longer, they also have a lower risk of:
- Heart disease
- Obesity
- Type 2 diabetes
- Certain cancers
A nutritious diet also helps prevent complications and manage your chronic condition to promote optimal health.
How can I prevent chronic diseases?
Good preventive care is an excellent place to start to prevent chronic conditions or catch them early when they’re most treatable. Dr. Shareef offers preventive care and screening tests to assess your risk for cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions. During your visit, she asks about your family history since many chronic conditions run in families.
What is chronic care management?
Chronic care management is a collection of medical services designed for Medicare beneficiaries with more than one serious chronic health condition. Chronic care management is designed for complex health conditions that require multiple services and a team of doctors and specialists. Dr. Shareef is a Medicare-selected provider who offers chronic care management.
Research shows that having more than one chronic health condition can increase your risk for poor health outcomes and even death. Chronic care management works to improve your health by orchestrating your care through Dr. Shareef, who then communicates with the rest of your health care team.
What conditions can be managed with chronic care management?
Chronic care management can help with conditions such as:
- Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS
If you have more than one serious chronic disease, find out if chronic care management is right for you. Call today or book a consultation online with Kishwar Shareef MD, PC.
