Common Chronic Conditions Your Primary Care Physician Can Help You Manage

The prevalence of chronic disease in the United States is nothing short of eye-opening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 6 in 10 adults have one disease, and 4 out of 10 are diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases, which account for a large part of the $4 trillion in annual health care costs. 

There are many reasons why Americans are vulnerable to chronic disease, including poor nutrition, lifestyle habits like smoking, and lack of exercise.

If you’re among the millions of Americans who are struggling with chronic disease, Dr. Ariel Soffer and our team here at Soffer Health Institute offer primary care services. The role that comprehensive primary care can play when you’re facing a chronic condition cannot be understated. From vigilant monitoring to prevention of complications, we can help you better manage your disease and improve your quality of life.

Here’s a look at some of the more common chronic diseases and how we can help improve your health.

The 10 most common chronic diseases

According to the CDC, a chronic disease is defined as, “conditions that last one year or more and require ongoing medical attention or limit activities of daily living or both.” 

Falling into this definition are the following chronic diseases:

1. Hypertension (high blood pressure) 
2. High cholesterol
3. Heart disease
4. Cancer
5. Arthritis
6. Diabetes
7. Chronic kidney disease
8. Heart failure
9. Depression
10. Chronic lung disease
11. Alzheimer’s disease and dementia

As you can see by this list, these chronic diseases can be very serious and require vigilant oversight to prevent life-threatening complications from developing.

The role of primary care

Through our primary care services, we provide the tools, resources, and expertise you need to better manage your disease. It would be hard to outline here what your care would like, as it depends upon your underlying condition, but we’ll give you a few examples.

If you have hypertension or high cholesterol, you’re at risk for developing very serious heart disease, including heart attack and stroke. Our goal is to reverse these numbers to improve your cardiovascular health, which can be done through medications and lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise. 

If you need help with weight management, we also offer customized diet and weight-loss programs.

Another example of primary care is diabetes management. When you have diabetes, you have high levels of glucose in your bloodstream, and over time the glucose can cause irreversible nerve and blood vessel damage. To prevent these outcomes, we help you take the steps necessary to manage your glucose levels.

The bottom line is that our primary care services are designed to help you navigate the often-confusing waters of chronic illness. We ensure that you’re getting the help you need, whether it’s through medications, lifestyle changes, or the services of a specialist.

If you want to take charge of your chronic illness, your first step is to get the right primary care providers in your corner, such as our team here. To get started, contact one of our offices in Aventura, Deerfield Beach, or Weston, Florida. We also offer telemedicine so that you can get the care you need from the comfort of your own home.