Overview
A long‑term condition is one that generally lasts a year or longer and impacts on a person's life. Long‑term conditions are also called 'chronic conditions', these can affect our physical and/or mental health.
They are non-communicable diseases, which means they are not infectious and cannot be caught from other people. They usually need ongoing management through medication and/or other therapies.
In many cases, we can reduce or prevent the conditions from occurring by taking steps to look after our health, such as eating well, moving more, not smoking, drinking less alcohol, and keeping socially connected.
Examples include
- arthritis
- asthma
- cancer
- diabetes
- heart disease
- stroke
- dementia
- mental health conditions
More information on these conditions can be found on the NHS website.
For several of these conditions, there are simple ways to detect them before you experience any physical signs or symptoms. One easy way is through getting an NHS Health Check at your GP practice.