Effective Strategies for Managing Multiple Chronic Conditions

If you’re living with a chronic medical condition like diabetes, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, depression, asthma, cancer, or COPD, you’re not alone. Approximately 6 in 10 American adults have been diagnosed with a chronic disease. Many people are living with several chronic conditions—42% of American adults have two or more chronic diseases and 12% are living with at least five chronic diseases.

Obesity is the most prevalent chronic disease in the U.S., affecting 42% of the population, which is twice the rate of peer countries. That’s followed by:

• Hypertension (31.6%)
• Diabetes (12.5%)
• Asthma (11%)
• Kidney disease (8.2%)
• Depression (6%)
• COPD (3.7%)
• Cancer (.4%)

The impact of chronic disease is significant. Of the top ten causes of death in the United States, eight of those causes are chronic diseases, specifically heart disease, kidney disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lower respiratory disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and chronic liver disease or cirrhosis. There are also financial costs. Of the $4.5 trillion that was spent on healthcare in the U.S. in 2022, 90% of those dollars were spent treating people with chronic physical and mental health conditions.

Proactive strategies are the key to managing multiple chronic conditions successfully

Not managing chronic medical conditions effectively can contribute to a number of problems that can affect your health and quality of life. Many chronic conditions can increase your risk of developing other chronic diseases. Obesity, for example, raises the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Diabetes increases the risk of developing diabetic nephropathy, a condition where high blood sugar levels damage blood vessels and other cells in the kidneys over time, leading to kidney disease and, in severe cases, kidney failure.

Managing multiple medical conditions can be complex, but there are steps you can take to ensure you get the care you need and lower your risk of developing complications. If you’ve been diagnosed with multiple chronic health problems, it’s important to build a comprehensive plan to manage your care.

The goal of your plan will depend on which conditions you’re living with, your overall health and family medical history, and whether you’ve developed complications. In general, your plan will be focused on controlling symptoms, slowing the progression of the disease, preventing the development of complications and related chronic conditions, and protecting and improving quality of life. The key elements of the plan include:

• Learning about your conditions and asking questions: Being an active, informed partner in your care can help you manage your condition better, lower the risk of developing additional health problems, and help you manage the psychological effects that living with chronic disease can cause. Your health advisor can provide the latest, evidence-based information on the conditions you face as well as treatment options so you’ll be prepared to ask your healthcare providers questions and make informed decisions about your treatment.
• Connecting with the right specialists: For many people, their primary care physician handles the management of their chronic health problems, but many primary care physicians have limited time with patients, which can make effectively and comprehensively managing multiple chronic conditions more challenging. One solution is to build a team of specialists experienced in treating the conditions you face, for example an endocrinologist who focuses on patients with diabetes, a cardiologist for heart disease management, a nephrologist for the management of kidney disease, and a nutritionist to help you make healthy changes to your diet. For older patients, a geriatrician may be another good option to coordinate care for several chronic conditions and recommend strategies to improve quality of life.
• Coordinating care and medical records among all your physicians: If you’re receiving care from several specialists and a primary care physician, having a universal medical record can lower your risk of medical errors, such as duplicate prescriptions or medications that can cause serious interactions and missed follow-up on test results. A secure comprehensive electronic medical record allows all the physicians who treat you to access your complete medical record instantly.
• Understanding your conditions and treatment options: Ask your physicians to explain the symptoms, possible progression, and treatment options for your chronic medical conditions. Find out what side effects any medications or treatments may cause and how they may affect your quality of life. In addition to medical treatments, ask about lifestyle changes that may help you manage your conditions, such as exercise or physical therapy, diet, and stress management.
• Having support and objective information to guide the management of your chronic conditions: Managing multiple health problems can be easier when you have someone to help you keep on track with your care plan. Some insurance plans offer the services of a care or case manager who provides phone consultations and is available to answer questions about your conditions and treatments. Your health advisor is another good resource. An advisor can connect you with experienced specialists and even attend appointments with you to take notes and ask questions.
• Taking steps to lower your risk of developing additional chronic conditions and complications: You can lower your risk of developing many chronic health problems, like heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, by making changes to your lifestyle. Eating a healthy diet and getting regular moderate exercise are two key ways to reduce your risk. These changes can also have a positive impact on other health problems you may be living with. Other proactive changes you can make to lower your risk and improve your overall health include managing stress and getting an adequate amount of good quality sleep, which can impact both your physical health and mental wellbeing.

Connect with PinnacleCare

For more information about how PinnacleCare can help you manage multiple chronic conditions, connect with us today.

PinnacleCare is a member of the Sun Life Financial Inc. (“Sun Life”) family of companies. PinnacleCare and its employees do not diagnose medical conditions, recommend treatment options or provide medical care, and any information or services provided should not be considered medical advice. Any medical decisions should be made only after consultation with and at the direction of your medical provider. Any person or entity who provides health care services following a referral or other service provided does so independently and not as an agent or representative of PinnacleCare.

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