Healthy Lifestyle Interventions to Combat Noncommunicable Disease—A Novel Nonhierarchical Connectivity Model for Key Stakeholders: A Policy Statement From the American Heart Association, European Society of Cardiology, European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, and American College of Preventive Medicine

Abstract

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) have become the primary health concern for most countries around the world. Currently, more than 36 million people worldwide die from NCDs each year, accounting for 63% of annual global deaths; most are preventable. The global financial burden of NCDs is staggering, with an estimated 2010 global cost of $6.3 trillion (US dollars) that is projected to increase to $13 trillion by 2030. A number of NCDs share one or more common predisposing risk factors, all related to lifestyle to some degree: (1) cigarette smoking, (2) hypertension, (3) hyperglycemia, (4) dyslipidemia, (5) obesity, (6) physical inactivity, and (7) poor nutrition. In large part, prevention, control, or even reversal of the aforementioned modifiable risk factors are realized through leading a healthy lifestyle (HL). The challenge is how to initiate the global change, not toward increasing documentation of the scope of the problem but toward true action-creating, implementing, and sustaining HL initiatives that will result in positive, measurable changes in the previously defined poor health metrics. To achieve this task, a paradigm shift in how we approach NCD prevention and treatment is required. The goal of this American Heart Association/European Society of Cardiology/European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation/American College of Preventive Medicine policy statement is to define key stakeholders and highlight their connectivity with respect to HL initiatives. This policy encourages integrated action by all stakeholders to create the needed paradigm shift and achieve broad adoption of HL behaviors on a global scale.

Public Park Spaces as a Platform to Promote Healthy Living: Introducing a HealthPark Concept

“…[1][2][3][4] Being physically active ( PA; i.e., moving more throughout the day), consuming a nutritious diet, not smoking and maintaining an appropriate body weight combine to constitute the HL polypill, serving as the foundation of HL medicine (HLM). 2,5,6 The benefits of daily use of the HL polypill, working toward optimal dosages, portends profound health benefits, substantially reducing the risk of chronic disease [i.e., cardiovascular disease (CVD), pulmonary disease, metabolic syndromes, certain cancers, etc.]…”

Training Health Professionals to Deliver Healthy Living Medicine

“…13,14,21 In fact, there is broad recognition that there is a need to change our approach to health care, preventing chronic disease, and better yet, preventing modifiable lifestyle risk factors, from ever manifesting is the way forward. 7 Despite a recognition that the delivery of healthcare must change, specifically adopting a HLM approach to a much greater degree, our educational model is lagging behind; we continue to primarily train all the health professions from a late primary/secondary prevention framework where pharmacologic and surgical interventions are a necessity. As such, there is a need to align health professions education and practice to address the population's current needs and desired outcomes, promotion of the healthspan 12, 22 , reduction in life-style related risk factors and the prevention of developing a chronic disease.…”

“…28 Thus, having physicians putting more emphasis on the practice of HLM and delivery of HL interventions (i.e., being physically active and moving more throughout the day, consuming a healthy diet, not smoking and maintaining a healthy body weight) is key for improving the health status of every individual receiving care, starting from children with no apparent risk factors (true primordial prevention), to at risk patients for primary prevention of all forms of chronic disease and through to secondary prevention HL interventions, such as cardiac rehabilitation following CVD events or heart surgery. 7,17,22,[29][30][31] Unfortunately, most of…”

“…[1][2][3] Unfortunately, few individuals around the world are able to pursue healthy living (HL) that supports cardiovascular (CV) as well as other key aspects of health (i.e., metabolic, pulmonary, etc.). [4][5][6][7][8][9] Compared to those with the poorest of characteristics, any movement toward an improved HL phenotype betters prognosis and quality of life, and if done early enough, significantly reduces the risk of chronic disease development and prolongs the healthspan. 4,[10][11][12][13][14][15] Over the course of health professions training (i.e., physician, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, physical and occupational therapy, dieticians, etc.…”

Organization maintenance of health related physical culture work with students in out-of-school establishments

“…Recent years there has been observed negative tendency of modern youth's health and physical fitness worsening [2,18,46,47,49,51,53,54]. It is facilitated by absence of the following: social demand in strengthening of youth's health [13,19,43]; innovative approaches, pointed at positive results.…”