Rapid responses are electronic comments to the editor. They enable our users
to debate issues raised in articles published on bmj.com. A rapid response
is first posted online. If you need the URL (web address) of an individual
response, simply click on the response headline and copy the URL from the
browser window. A proportion of responses will, after editing, be published
online and in the print journal as letters, which are indexed in PubMed.
Rapid responses are not indexed in PubMed and they are not journal articles.
The BMJ reserves the right to remove responses which are being
wilfully misrepresented as published articles or when it is brought to our
attention that a response spreads misinformation.
From March 2022, the word limit for rapid responses will be 600 words not
including references and author details. We will no longer post responses
that exceed this limit.
The word limit for letters selected from posted responses remains 300 words.
Since cumulative evidence has established human behaviors as a major
contributor to the growing incidence of chronic diseases such as
cardiovascular diseases and cancer worldwide (1), comprehensive measures
to modify these risk behaviors are recognized as the cardinal strategy to
tackle on imminent burden by those diseases. However, promotion of
behavioral modification alone could be hampered by the fact that there are
people who do not have chances or resources to pursue healthy behaviors
(2).
In this context, Sturmer et al (3) have demonstrated another component of
human, in addition to behavior, as a significant contributor to the
development of chronic diseases; personality. As the authors have
concluded, personality is probably associated with the incidence of
chronic
diseases by way of affecting risk behaviors, which are known to cluster in
the
same individuals (4), leading to an increased risk for chronic diseases.
Better
understanding of the underlying mechanisms mediating risk behaviors
including clustering of them will establish a basis on which more
efficient and
widely applicable preventive measures could be established to reduce
expanding burden of chronic diseases.
References
(1) The world health report 2002. Reducing risks, promoting healthy life.
Geneva, World Health Organization, 2002.
(2) Strong K, Mathers C, Leeder S, Beaglehole R. Preventing chronic
diseases:
how many lives can we save? Lancet 2005;366:1578-82.
(3) Sturmer T, Hasselbach P, Amelang M. Personality, lifestyle, and risk
of
cardiovascular disease and cancer: follow-up of population based cohort.
BMJ 2006:bmj.38833.479560.80.
(4) Chiolero A, Wietlisbach V, Ruffieux C, Paccaud F, Cornuz J. Clustering
of
risk behaviors with cigarette consumption: A population-based survey. Prev
Med 2006 (in press).
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests:
No competing interests
14 May 2006
Takeharu Koga
Associate professor
Atsushi Kawaguchi
Kurume University School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume, 830-0011 Japan
Another dimension of strategy to prevent chronic diseases
Since cumulative evidence has established human behaviors as a major
contributor to the growing incidence of chronic diseases such as
cardiovascular diseases and cancer worldwide (1), comprehensive measures
to modify these risk behaviors are recognized as the cardinal strategy to
tackle on imminent burden by those diseases. However, promotion of
behavioral modification alone could be hampered by the fact that there are
people who do not have chances or resources to pursue healthy behaviors
(2).
In this context, Sturmer et al (3) have demonstrated another component of
human, in addition to behavior, as a significant contributor to the
development of chronic diseases; personality. As the authors have
concluded, personality is probably associated with the incidence of
chronic
diseases by way of affecting risk behaviors, which are known to cluster in
the
same individuals (4), leading to an increased risk for chronic diseases.
Better
understanding of the underlying mechanisms mediating risk behaviors
including clustering of them will establish a basis on which more
efficient and
widely applicable preventive measures could be established to reduce
expanding burden of chronic diseases.
References
(1) The world health report 2002. Reducing risks, promoting healthy life.
Geneva, World Health Organization, 2002.
(2) Strong K, Mathers C, Leeder S, Beaglehole R. Preventing chronic
diseases:
how many lives can we save? Lancet 2005;366:1578-82.
(3) Sturmer T, Hasselbach P, Amelang M. Personality, lifestyle, and risk
of
cardiovascular disease and cancer: follow-up of population based cohort.
BMJ 2006:bmj.38833.479560.80.
(4) Chiolero A, Wietlisbach V, Ruffieux C, Paccaud F, Cornuz J. Clustering
of
risk behaviors with cigarette consumption: A population-based survey. Prev
Med 2006 (in press).
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests