For NCDs (Non-Communicable Diseases), these are chronic diseases caused by accumulated lifestyle behaviors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high blood lipids. The important or perhaps frightening aspect of these diseases is that once diagnosed, some patients may require continuous lifelong treatment, making it difficult to completely cure. Currently, it is found that… patients are younger than in the past. However, it would be better if we know beforehand, prevent beforehand, or know how to help promote better and more effective disease management.
Pathway to Better Prevention and Treatment
Chronic disease management in anti-aging medicine is divided into two main parts:
Care for patients already suffering from chronic diseases focuses on overall management in various aspects, such as
- Acting as a personal physician to manage medications, such as whether each medication taken has side effects on health or if there is any overlap in medications for different diseases, especially in cases of multiple illnesses or treatment from multiple hospitals.
- Providing knowledge and guidance on lifestyle modifications, such as diet, sleep, and exercise, to enhance treatment effectiveness. Currently, most patients do not pay much attention to behavior change and rely mainly on medication, which is incorrect and unsustainable because chronic disease treatment is most effective and sustainable when patients take care of their health and prioritize behavior modification.
- Additional care regarding essential nutrients and vitamins to help correct deficiencies and improve health. When nutrients can better assist in disease treatment, specialists will gradually reduce the regular medication dosage, which benefits the patient’s health.
- Checking and assessing the risk of complications, including providing advice on monitoring symptoms of possible complications such as chest pain, shortness of breath, and muscle weakness.
Care for at-risk groups with potential for chronic NCDs
This group is very important because once they fall into the risk category, it means there is a chance of developing the disease. Therefore, the main challenge in caring for these individuals is to prevent them from crossing from risk to disease. Doctors will assess various risks through laboratory tests combined with detailed risk history taking. Prevention care for this group considers several components, including:
- Checking for risk factors of chronic diseases
- Providing personalized lifestyle modification advice based on individual gender, age, and occupation differences
- Recommending necessary dietary supplements alongside behavior modification
Consulting with an anti-aging medicine doctor for behavior modification acts as a guide to help patients follow the correct practices, understand any precautions that need extra attention, and after receiving advice, doctors usually schedule follow-ups in 1-2 months to monitor changes and provide additional recommendations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many times should a person at risk of chronic disease receive care?
A: It depends mainly on the patient’s adherence because some people may only need one consultation to remember, understand, and strictly follow the advice well. Therefore, what patients must continuously do for themselves is to adjust their lifestyle behaviors and have blood tests at appropriate intervals. Neglecting this can lead to crossing from risk… to disease at any time.
