Chronic Disease and Prevention
Unit 5: Multilevel Understanding of Chronic Cardiac Disease
Theresa Tam (Canada, 2021a), Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, shares:
Canada's population is aging. Most Canadian seniors living in the community report that they are happy, satisfied with their lives and have good physical and mental health. However, the aging process can bring about many challenges. One of these is the impact of chronic diseases and conditions, which can affect activities of daily living, reduce quality of life and increase mortality risk.
Four chronic diseases, namely cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases account for over 60% of all deaths in Canada. The onset of these diseases can be delayed or mitigated through changes in behavioural risk factors as well as broader determinants of health.