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Why COVID-19 strengthens the case to scale up assault on noncommunicable diseases : Role of health professionals including physical therapists in mitigating pandemic waves Dean, Elizabeth; Skinner, Margot; Yu, Homer Peng-Ming; Jones, Alice Y. M.; Gosselink, Rik; Söderlund, Anne
Abstract
As SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, spread globally, the most severely affected sub-populations were the elderly and those with multi-morbidity largely related to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), e.g., heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, obesity. NCDs are largely preventable with healthy nutrition, regular activity, and not smoking. This perspective outlines the rationale for health professionals’ including physical therapists’ role in reducing COVID-19 susceptibility. Evidence is synthesized supporting the pro-inflammatory effects of the western diet, increasingly consumed globally, inactivity, and smoking; and the immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory effects of a whole food plant-based diet, regular physical activity, and not smoking. An increased background of chronic low-grade systemic inflammation associated with unhealthy lifestyle practices appears implicated in an individual’s susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2. It is timely to re-double efforts across healthcare sectors to reduce the global prevalence of NCDs on two fronts: one, to reduce SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility; and two, to reduce the impact of subsequent waves given high blood pressure and blood sugar, common in people with multi-morbidity, can be improved within days/weeks with anti-inflammatory healthy lifestyle practices, and weight loss and atherosclerosis reduction/reversal, within months/years. With re-doubled efforts to control NCD risk factors, subsequent waves could be less severe. Health professionals including physical therapists have a primary role in actively leading this initiative.
Item Metadata
Title |
Why COVID-19 strengthens the case to scale up assault on noncommunicable diseases : Role of health professionals including physical therapists in mitigating pandemic waves
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Creator | |
Publisher |
AIMS Press
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Date Issued |
2021-04-16
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Description |
As SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, spread globally, the most severely
affected sub-populations were the elderly and those with multi-morbidity largely related to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), e.g., heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, obesity. NCDs are
largely preventable with healthy nutrition, regular activity, and not smoking. This perspective outlines the
rationale for health professionals’ including physical therapists’ role in reducing COVID-19 susceptibility.
Evidence is synthesized supporting the pro-inflammatory effects of the western diet, increasingly
consumed globally, inactivity, and smoking; and the immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory effects of a
whole food plant-based diet, regular physical activity, and not smoking. An increased background of
chronic low-grade systemic inflammation associated with unhealthy lifestyle practices appears implicated
in an individual’s susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2. It is timely to re-double efforts across healthcare sectors
to reduce the global prevalence of NCDs on two fronts: one, to reduce SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility; and two, to reduce the impact of subsequent waves given high blood pressure and blood sugar, common in
people with multi-morbidity, can be improved within days/weeks with anti-inflammatory healthy lifestyle
practices, and weight loss and atherosclerosis reduction/reversal, within months/years. With re-doubled
efforts to control NCD risk factors, subsequent waves could be less severe. Health professionals including
physical therapists have a primary role in actively leading this initiative.
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Subject | |
Genre | |
Type | |
Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2021-07-07
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
Attribution 4.0 International
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0400061
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URI | |
Affiliation | |
Citation |
Dean, E., Skinner, M., Yu, H. P., Jones, A. Y., Gosselink, R., Söderlund, A.(2021). Why COVID-19 strengthens the case to scale up assault on non-communicable diseases: Role of health professionals including physical therapists in mitigating pandemic waves. AIMS Public Health, 8(2), 369-375.
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Publisher DOI |
10.3934/publichealth.2021028
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Peer Review Status |
Reviewed
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Scholarly Level |
Faculty
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Copyright Holder |
Authors
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Rights URI | |
Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Citations and Data
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International