Can Noncommunicable Diseases Be Prevented? Lessons from Studies of Populations and Individuals
Au sein d'un dossier spécial, ces articles analysent divers aspects de la prévention des maladies non transmissibles
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)—mainly cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases—are responsible for about two-thirds of deaths worldwide, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. There is an urgent need for policies and strategies that prevent NCDs by reducing their major risk factors. Effective approaches for large-scale NCD prevention include comprehensive tobacco and alcohol control through taxes and regulation of sales and advertising; reducing dietary salt, unhealthy fats, and sugars through regulation and well-designed public education; increasing the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and whole grains by lowering prices and improving availability; and implementing a universal, effective, and equitable primary-care system that reduces NCD risk factors, including cardiometabolic risk factors and infections that are precursors to NCDs, through clinical interventions.
Science , résumé, 2012