Supporting our hike upstream: special issue and recurring feature on social determinants of health in physical therapy

Department

Physical Therapy

Abstract

One of the greatest accomplishments of the medical and public health systems has been to reduce the incidence of death and to prolong human lifespans worldwide. According to recent data from the Global Burden of Disease study, overall deaths from communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases reduced almost one-quarter worldwide between 2007 and 2017, resulting in a one-third reduction in age-standardized years per life lost.1 The most progress in preventing deaths from communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases was made in the least developed countries.1 These outcomes are the product of increasingly sophisticated medical products, services, and strategies, which are deployed in alignment with coordinated population health objectives. Data from the same study also indicated a one-quarter increase in the incidence of death worldwide from chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) between 2007 and 2017, such as cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer.1 The observed increase in mortality was associated with a 10% decrease in age-standardized years per life lost worldwide,1 and a 52% increase in overall years lived with disability.2 Taken together, these data suggest that NCDs are becoming more common that people are now living longer with NCDs, and perhaps consequently, that NCDs are responsible for a greater share of burden of disability over time. Although the reduction in mortality from NCDs is promising, the continued increase in frequency of NCDs remains a worrisome source of mortality, disability, and medical costs worldwide.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Winter 1-1-2020

Publication Title

Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy Journal

ISSN

1541-7891

Volume

31

Issue

1

DOI

10.1097/CPT.0000000000000134

First Page

2

Last Page

4

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