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Radiocast: Chronic Conditions: What You Need to
Know
Rand: This is Healthcare 411: Information for better health. Seven out of
every ten Americans who die each year succumb to a chronic illness such as
diabetes, hypertension or heart disease.
AHRQ Director Dr. Carolyn Clancy:
Dr. Clancy: Chronic diseases are illnesses that generally don’t go away
once you get them and, in many cases, can’t be cured. Managing them can be very
complex and time-consuming.
Rand: What’s your advice for patients who have a chronic disease?
Dr. Clancy: Managing a chronic illness involves repeating many important
actions regularly. The actions include: following a medicine routine; making a
major lifestyle change, such as quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption
or losing weight; taking action when symptoms indicate a problem, such as
scheduling a doctor’s visit or a lab test; and checking symptoms regularly, even
daily.
Rand: Learn more online at
http://healthcare411.ahrq.gov/.
Healthcare 411 is produced by AHRQ, the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Rand
Gardner for Healthcare 411.
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