Arthritis, Cancer, Kidney Disease, Diabetes, Epilepsy, Heart Disease,
HIV/AIDS, Mental Disorders, Lung Diseases, Stroke

“The book that everyone should have at home.” This book is an amalgamation of a factbook, notebook, and handbook and it might be used for instructive, preparatory, auxiliary and education purposes. It is intended to provide valuable information about the leading chronic diseases to practicing doctors, nurses, professors of medicine, nursing and related areas, students, patients, patient families, volunteers, gerontologists, hospice professionals, psychologists, special educators, medical strategists, medical or general policy makers, medical economy experts, social work experts, employers, public health organizations, health associations, lawmakers, lawyer associations, medical societies, agencies, human rights defenders, organizations for handicapped persons, humanitarian organizations, medical religious orders and religious organizations, foundations, funds, and all interested individuals.

The ten diseases contained in this book comprise chronic medical states that represent more than 80% of human lives and medical costs in the world population. The increasing number of chronic diseases and their influence upon the medical costs (hospitalizations, doctor’s visits, physical therapies and other sorts of therapies, surgeries, various instruments, home visit and medical care, family discomfort), as well as their influence upon the working incapacity, disablement and premature death of the patients, have put to test the organization and role of health systems around the world. The rise in the number of chronic diseases has increased the role of the family in taking care for the ill and handicapped members. The need to provide greater success in the treatment of patients suffering from chronic disease entailed a growing need for collective activity of the medical staff, the family and the society.

It is a consensual opinion that the explosive expansion of those few entities is related to the globalization, urbanization, and the constant changes in life and workplaces. World Health Organization (WHO) is working with governments to incorporate chronic diseases into the UN Millennium Development Goals. Interesting, but the diseases that are the subject of this book connect people and countries in the world. Health is the greatest human wealth. Chronic diseases are a global challenge of our time that requires cooperation among civilizations to achieve global success. The power of science and knowledge should be the language and the bridge which bring the nations together. We all must keep investing in science, medicine, education, and technological development in order to promote healthy life for the benefit of the world population and future generations.