Chronic and Infectious Diseases

Chronic and Infectious Diseases Chronic and infectious diseases are diseases life threatening. A chronic diseases are non-communicable illnesses prolonged in duration, do not resolve spontaneously, and are rarely cured completely such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). However, an infectious disease or communicable disease is contagious and caused by a biological agent, such as a virus, bacterium, or parasite also known as pathogens (The Metro Health System, 2002-2012). There are some diseases, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Characteristics of a chronic disease, examining the relationship between a healthy nutritional diet, and cardiovascular disease, the effects of chronic, and infectious diseases, how exercise affects the immune system, and consumer awareness are the focus of this paper.
Characteristics of a Chronic Disease Chronic diseases are often hard to detect because the disease spread slowly. According to UCLA Center for Neurovisceral Sciences and Women 's Health (n.d.), “chronic illnesses also have multiple causes varying over time, including heredity, lifestyle factors, exposure to environmental factors and physiological factors” (Chronic Illness). Individuals who smoke cigarettes put him or her at risk of several types of chronic illnesses. “Cigarette smoking is an independent risk factor for lower extremity arterial disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and is a predictor of mortality “(Hudson & Mannino, 2010, p. 1). Other unhealthy habits, such an unhealthy diet, overweight, and lack of physical activity put an individual at risk of developing a chronic disease.

Relationship between a Healthy Nutritional Diet and Cardiovascular Disease A healthy diet and cardiovascular disease go hand-in-hand. According to Sánchez-Muniz (2012) Diet is considered the foundation for

References: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009). Chronic Disease-At a glance. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/chronic.htm Hudson, N.L., & Mannino, D.M. (2010, October). Tobacco use: A chronic illness?. Journal of Community Health, 35(5), 549-53. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Riaz, M., Idrees, M., Kanwal, H., & Kabir, F. (2011, July ). An overview of triple infection with hepatitis B, C and D viruses. Virology Journal, 8(), 368. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Powers, S. K., & Dodd, S. L. (2009). Total fitness and wellness (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Pearson Education, Inc. Sánchez-Muniz, F. J. (2012, February). Dietary fibre and cardiovascular health. Nutricion Hospitalaria, 27(1), 31-45. EBSCOhost. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. (1995-2012). Diet, exercise, stress, and the immune system. Retrieved from http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/0900/0955.asp?index=5429 The Metro Health System. (2002-2012). What is an infectious disease. Retrieved from http://www.metrohealth.org/body.cfm?id=1570&oTopID=1570 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Understanding HIV.AIDS. Retrieved from http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/hivaids/understanding/Pages/Default.aspx UCLA Center for Neurovisceral Sciences and Women 's Health. (n.d.). Living healthy with a chronic illness. Retrieved from http://www.cns.med.ucla.edu/Articles/PatientArticleSp97Living.htm