Cardio-metabolic diseases are the leading causes of premature death worldwide.
The conditions are together some of the most prevalent and severe
multimorbidities and include conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, coronary
heart disease and stroke. People with these conditions are at a higher risk of
all-cause death and have a reduction in life expectancy when compared to
patients without cardio-metabolic disorders. As a result of the increasing
prevalence and impact of cardio-metabolic multimorbidity on disability, no
healthcare system can ‘treat’ its way out of this pandemic. ‘Treating our way
out’ requires the use of multiple medications which can lead to improper
prescribing, insufficient compliance, overdosing or underdosing, improper drug
choice, insufficient monitoring, unfavourable drug effects, and drug
interactions and inappropriate wastes and costs. Therefore, individuals living
with these conditions should be empowered to adopt lifestyle changes that foster
independent living with their conditions. Adopting these healthy lifestyles such
as smoking cessation, improving dietary habits, sleep hygiene and physical
activity is a suitable adjunctive measure if not an alternative to polypharmacy
in cardio-metabolic multimorbidity.