Posted: February 1st, 2023

Interrelationships Among Chronic Diseases

Chronic diseases are those diseases that persist for longer durations. The example comprises diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases, cancer, arthritis, asthma, AIDS, and many more. These chronic diseases are interrelated for specific reasons. The causes of effect on the same organ can be linked in various forms. One such example is the prevalence of a chronic condition known as hypertension, which is the higher blood pressure, and it can lead to another type of chronic condition if left untreated or in cases of poor management, and it is thus interrelated to atherosclerosis and heart problems. Diabetes is another example that can lead to plaque buildup in the heart blood vessels and threaten an individual’s life by causing cardiovascular disease and heart attacks, strokes, and many more. Similarly, people with AIDS are more prone to tuberculosis infection. Multiple chronic diseases are the co-occurrence of more than one chronic disease in a person. The frequency of chronic diseases and related functional disability raises the risk of psychological discomfort in the aged population. As the number of chronic diseases increases, there is a decrease in the quality of life, the inability to perform meaningful daily life activities, and an increased risk of frequent treatment/hospitalization and premature death. Many chronic conditions and diseases affect one or more than one organ. For instance, diabetes can lead to several other diseases such as stroke, high blood pressure, heart disease, and nerve damage. It is also a major cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputation, kidney failure, and blindness in the United States.

Interrelationship between Hypertension and Atherosclerosis
The most commonly occurring chronic disease that affects people globally is hypertension or high blood pressure. In this chronic disease, the blood vessels usually have elevated blood pressure. Arteries are those blood vessels carrying blood to the entire body. During the beating of the heart, it pushes blood through the arteries exerting pressure on its walls. Higher pressure on the wall for longer durations is known as hypertension. A diet with a higher intake of salt, fat, and cholesterol can cause this condition. This long-term pressure can eventually cause other chronic health problems. The blood vessels get more vulnerable to having plaque building up near the walls, which narrows the arteries. Hence, the blood flow is restricted, and there is blockage during motion. Thus, hypertension is interrelated to heart diseases and atherosclerosis as it leads to hardened and thickened arteries. This can further cause heart attacks, stroke, and heart failure.