What Comes First, the Behavior or the Condition? In the COVID-19 Era, It May Go Both Ways Article

Full Text via DOI: 10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2021.100963 Web of Science: 000738780600003
International Collaboration

Cited authors

  • Arena R, Lavie CJ, Faghy MA

Abstract

  • Which came first, the chicken or the egg? This causality dilemma was first proposed by the Greek biographer Plutarch in the 1st century CE. While the cause-effect relationship between lifestyle behaviors and chronic disease is not always a certainty, and genetic predisposition can independently lead to premature chronic disease, the likelihood of developing one or more chronic conditions is significantly higher in those who: (1) lead sedentary lifestyles; (2) consume unhealthy diets; (3) smoke; or (4) have excess body mass. Recently, the Royal College of General Practitioners issued an apology for the title of an online event that suggested the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a lifestyle disease. We feel that this was the correct course of action as leading an unhealthy lifestyle is certainly not the cause for an individual contracting COVID-19 (ie, effect). However, a body of evidence has demonstrated that unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and characteristics as well as being diagnosed with one or more chronic diseases does significantly increase the risk for a complicated medical course in individuals infected with COVID-19. Moreover, the cause-effect relationship between lifestyle behaviors and characteristics and COVID-19 may eventually prove to go both ways, as the pandemic may lead to a higher prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and characteristics over the long term that eventually leads to a higher prevalence of chronic disease. As such, health living medicine must be widely practiced and prescribed to all individuals globally. (Curr Probl Cardiol 2022;47:100963.)

Authors

Publication date

  • 2022

Published in

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0146-2806

Number of pages

  • 10

Volume

  • 47

Issue

  • 2