Chronic patient must remain active

13-08-2008

Remain active when suffering from a chronic disease and recognize the emotions that go hand in hand with a chronic disease. That’s what researchers of Utrecht University advise patients. That way they are better capable of adapting to their situation. The research results were published in a scientific magazine called The Lancet.

The four researchers analyzed hundreds of recently published scientific articles about accepting a chronic disease. It brought up several factors that appear to play an important part in the acceptation process.

Responsibility

The scientists say it’s important that patients remain as active as possible, despite their limitations. Aside from that they advise patients to recognize negative emotions and process them.

Sometimes chronic patients are able to discover positive sides to their disease as well. These patients appreciate the additional time they have for their family or the different view they’ve gotten on life.

In the scientific research it’s important that the attention is no longer exclusively focused on finding out why living with a chronic disease is so difficult. After analyzing hundreds of recently published scientific articles the authors conclude that science specifically tries to explain which factors contribute to a good adaptation to a chronic disease.

Four factors

In the article the researchers from Utrecht distinguish four factors that contribute to such a good adaptation. First of all it is – despite the by the disease induced need for rest – after all important to remain as active as possible. It’s also necessary to recognize the negative emotions and deal with them in a constructive way. Furthermore it’s important that patients take responsibility themselves in the care for their disease. Patients who are even capable of seeing the positive sides of the disease, are known to have a better quality of life.

Social importance

These discoveries have a great social importance because a great deal of the population has to deal with chronic diseases, like diabetes, asthma and rheumatism. Until recently life threatening illnesses such a cancer and heart and vascular diseases are increasingly better to treat because of medical developments, which is why these patients can live with their condition on the longer term.

The research was done in commission of The Lancet.

http://www.medinews.be/full_article/detail.asp?aid=13772

http://www.refdag.nl/artikel/1352673/Chronisch+zieke+moet+actief+blijven.html

http://www.huisartsvandaag.nl/content/view/13879/1/

Translation: Sara De Roy

Source : Medinews