Theme Lead - Professor Nigel Brunskill
Theme Manager - Dr Philip Shelton

Preventing the increased incidence of chronic diseases and conditions presents a huge challenge not just to the NHS but worldwide. Chronic diseases are those that can only be controlled and not, at present, cured. They include diabetes, CKD, asthma, arthritis, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dementia and a range of disabling neurological conditions. Living with a chronic disease has a significant impact on a person’s quality of life and on their family. The incidence of such diseases increases with age. Many older people are living with more than one chronic condition and this means that they face particular challenges, both medical and social. The care of people with chronic conditions also consumes a large proportion of health and social care resources. People with chronic conditions are significantly more likely to see their GP (accounting for about 80% of GP consultations), to be admitted as inpatients, and to use more inpatient days than those without such conditions. The World Health Organisation has identified that such conditions will be the leading cause of disability by 2020 and that, if not successfully managed, will become the most expensive problem for health care systems. For a review see the Department of Health  paper on Improving Chronic Disease Management (2004).

In the Prevention Theme we have three main areas of investigation:

• A study looking at the prevention of at risk patients developing type 2 diabetes using a structured exercise intervention
• A study to look at removing the barriers to treating patients with and at risk of progessive chronic kidney disease (CKD)
• Our final area of active research is to look at the prevention of depression in relevant local populations and this study is currently in the planning stage.

Projects funded by CLAHRC Mental Health Research Development Awards:

• Screening adults for possible autism spectrum disorders
• Implementation and evaluation of care pathways in adults with intellectual disability
• Exploring the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of screening and management for depressive symptoms and diabetes distress for the prevention of deteriorating glycaemic control in people with Type 2 diabetes

News on study progress

For up-to-date progress news from the prevention theme studies please access our Study Progress Diary