Chronic Illnesses

Chronic disease is defined as a noncommunicable condition that lasts for 6 months or longer. [Page 351]A chronic disease diagnosis suggests an illness that is slow in progression, with complex etiologies and symptomatology, and that does not spread from person to person. This entry covers rates of chronic disease, risk factors for chronic disease, the costs of chronic disease, and social factors associated with chronic disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), as of 2012, more than half (54%, 117 million people) of all adults in the United States had at least one chronic disease, with 2014 data showing that 1 of 4 adults were diagnosed with two or more medical illnesses and 3 of 4 adults 65 years of age and older reported ...