The figures are crystal clear. People with chronic conditions and co-morbidity are at the greatest risk of becoming seriously ill from a COVID-19 infection and are significantly more likely to die from it. The Netherlands Innovation Center for Lifestyle Medicine (Lifestyle4Health) and the Association of Arts and Lifestyle jointly advocate structural investments in lifestyle, lifestyle medicine and living environment.
Lifestyle4Health today publishes a widely supported scientific note about what is now known about the relationships between COVID-19 and lifestyle-related diseases. The Arts and Lifestyle Association today offers State Secretary Blokhuis a letter to state that vital lifestyle measures are missing from the approach surrounding COVID-19. This letter was signed in 1800 by passionate healthcare professionals.
Lifestyle-related diseases
Physicians and scientists report that especially people with underlying suffering suffer from a serious course of COVID-19. In a large part of the cases, this underlying suffering is a (combination of) chronic lifestyle-related illness such as obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Such conditions are a direct result of metabolic dysregulation.
In the previously released bundle “Scientific evidence of lifestyle medicineLifestyle4Health (an initiative of TNO and LUMC) has described the possibilities for using lifestyle interventions in the treatment of lifestyle-related diseases. The Arts and Lifestyle Association is committed to making a practical translation of this scientific evidence and supports healthcare professionals in advising their patients: by providing practical tools, with training, advocacy and lobbying.
Scientific note
Experts from TNO and LUMC describe the current insights into the relationship between COVID-19, resistance, metabolic dysregulation and lifestyle interventions in the scientific note published today. This note is an addendum to the earlier bundle.
The aim of the memorandum is that policymakers can set out better informed policy for current practice and define relevant research questions for the future. The note is widely supported.
Dr. Hanneke Molema (Lifestyle4Health): “The corona pandemic – and most recent scientific insights – confirm that lifestyle, living environment and lifestyle medicine are crucial for a healthy society, especially now.”
Letter
Lifestyle4Health’s scientific note fits seamlessly with the message of healthcare professionals in one letter from the Arts & Lifestyle Association. They state that the COVID basic rules are clear to everyone: wash hands, cough and sneeze in the elbow, keep 1.5 meters away, do not shake hands, and work at home.
But a vital measure is missing, namely healthy living. This is written by the Association of Arts and Lifestyle on behalf of 1,900 medical specialists, general practitioners and other healthcare professionals in a letter to State Secretary Paul Blokhuis. Today the Arts and Lifestyle Association offers the letter. Vice-chairman and general practitioner Iris de Vries: “If lifestyle should ever be on the agenda, then it is now”.
Opportunities for the future
The letter and memorandum make it clear that science and practice agree that healthy eating, exercising, quitting smoking and relaxation can increase people’s metabolic health and resistance.
The policy regarding the Prevention Agreement and the Combined Lifestyle Intervention connect to this. The broad support for both the letter from the Association of Arts and Lifestyle and the memorandum from Lifestyle4Health show that more is possible and desirable.
Lifestyle4Health and the Arts and Lifestyle Association advocate structural investments in lifestyle, lifestyle medicine and living environment and offer help and support from science and practice.
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