Patients are generally getting sicker. According to a study by the UnitedHealth Group, individuals are increasingly experiencing health issues and ailments earlier in life. This also means that they require more care for longer durations of time, and the rate of hospital admissions is getting higher. This is further compounded by increasing rates of chronic conditions. A CDC study indicates that “Approximately 6 in 10 young, 8 in 10 midlife, and 9 in 10 older US adults report 1 or more chronic conditions.” A study by the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center also reveals that rates of cancer in young people are rapidly rising, especially around the colorectal, breast, prostate, uterine, gastric and pancreatic varieties.
Why are people getting so sick, so early?
A lot of research is increasingly pointing towards the significant changes in lifestyle over the past 3 decades. For one, society has become largely sedentary, with less trade and labor jobs and more office-based professions. A study by the Korean Journal of Family Medicine Research found that “Approximately 31% of the global population aged ≥15 years engages in insufficient physical activity, and it is known to contribute to the death of approximately 3.2 million people every year…It is well known that insufficient physical activity, that is, physical inactivity, has a detrimental effect on health. Physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality, accounting for 6% of global mortality.”
Food diets have also changed significantly, with increasing rates of fast food, processed food and preservative consumption. One of the fastest growing cancer types in young populations is colon cancer, and there is a growing body of evidence that is finding the linkage between increasing rates and changes in diet: “Early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) is emerging as a significant global health concern, particularly among individuals under the age of 50. This alarming trend has coincided with an increase in the consumption of processed foods that often rely heavily on synthetic preservatives… Growing evidence suggests that they may contribute to adverse gut health outcomes, which is a known risk factor in colorectal cancer development.” Many linkages have also been made between obesity and increased rates of cancer, especially for those under 50.
The impact is compounded when all of these factors come together: a society where activity rates have decreased, with increasing rates of more processed and preserved food consumption. There are numerous detriments to society because of this. For one, human life is increasingly becoming more fragile. As patients continue to get sicker, life-spans over the course of generations may decline. While modern medicine has expanded life-span significantly over the last 300 years, in many ways, the ailments of modern life have become counterproductive for quality of life-span, while quantity has increased. Furthermore, the healthcare system is facing more pressure now than ever before. The continued physician shortage is not going to bode well for an increasingly sick population, especially with rising rates of chronic disease. As more patients get sick, more doctors and healthcare professionals will be required to take care of them. The healthcare and medical education systems need to be prepared.