Chronic disease in Australia: One in five Aussies affected

This might not be the news you’d like to wake up to, but with new research out today stating about half of all Australians have a chronic disease, it’s definitely got us sitting up a little straighter. So what does it all mean?

The diseases affecting us Aussies the most include; arthritis, asthma,back problems, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease (which kills one Australian every 12 minutes), diabetes and mental health conditions – eek! The research suggests that nearly 40 percent of Australians aged 45 and over in fact have not just one, but multiple chronic diseases.

Experts believe that ageing plays a huge factor in this, but sometimes these diseases occur together simply by chance.

For the younger generation (aged 0-44), it seems that mental health conditions and back problems were the most common comorbidities, followed by mental health and asthma, and then back problems and asthma.

This eye-opening data is yet another reminder of the importance of keeping our minds and bodies happy and healthy – forever and ever.

Source: bodyandSoul