Chronic diseases are those illnesses that usually do not go away on their own, and are rarely completely cured. In other words, someone diagnosed with a chronic disease will probably live with that illness for the remainder of his or her life.

• Chronic diseases cause 7 in 10 deaths each year in the United States. ¹
• About 133 million Americans – nearly 1 in 2 adults live with at least one chronic illness. ¹
• Each year 1.7 million people die of chronic disease. ¹
• More than 75% of health care costs are due to chronic conditions. ¹
• Approximately one-fourth of persons living with chronic illness experience significant limitations in daily activities. ¹

Although chronic diseases are more common among older adults, they affect people of all ages and are now recognized as a leading health concern of the nation.

The Caring Ambassadors Program mission is a direct outgrowth of these facts. CAP is committed to empowering people afflicted with chronic diseases to optimize wellness through information, awareness, and personal choice.

The Caring Ambassadors Program operates on the premise that maintaining health and wellness in the 21st century requires a shift in focus away from the management of short-term or acute diseases to the prevention and control of long-term or chronic diseases.

Health and wellness tend to be thought of only in terms of physical health or illness. A key element in the successful management of long-term disease is recognizing the fact that true wellness requires health in all realms; emotional, spiritual, social, intellectual, as well as physical. As a result, the Caring Ambassadors Programs provides information that focuses not only on the physical/medical aspects of chronic illness but also on the other components of living in wellness.

Life with a chronic disease is challenging but not impossible. With proper medical care, education, and support, people with these afflictions can live happy, fulfilling, productive lives

<sup>Source:
1. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion</sup>

Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Inclusion or Exclusion

According to a national survey conducted in 2008, at least 38% of American Adults reported use of one or more CAM therapies in the last 30 days. Respondents most frequently used CAM therapies for chronic (long-term) conditions, the primary focus of the Caring Ambassadors Program.

CAM Use by U.S. Adults and Children

CAP believes these figures are important and clearly indicate that CAM therapies must be addressed in our programs. While CAP is not in the business of promoting any particular form of therapy, we feel a sense of responsibility to our constituents to not only acknowledge the use of CAM for chronic conditions, but also to address the relative efficacy of such therapies.

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Source: Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin, R CDC National Health Statistics Report #12. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Adults and Children: United States, 2007. December 2008.