Progressive disease
Progressive disease or progressive illness is a
medical therapy. Some cannot be altered by current treatments.[2]
Though the time distinctions are imprecise, diseases can be rapidly progressive (typically days to weeks) or slowly progressive (months to years). The time course of a disease affects whether it is considered
chronic diseases. Biologically, many of these are also referred to as degenerative diseases due to the cellular changes.[citation needed
]
Not all chronic diseases are progressive: a chronic, non-progressive disease may be referred to as a static condition.
Progressive disease can also be a clinical endpoint i.e. an endpoint in a clinical trial. A progressive disease should not be confused with a terminal disease, the difference being that a terminal disease invariably leads to death.
Examples
There are examples of slowly and rapidly progressive diseases affecting all
organ systems and parts of the body. The following are some examples of rapidly and slowly progressive diseases affecting various organ systems:[citation needed
]
- Brain: Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease progresses rapidly compared to Alzheimer's disease.
- Eyes: Cataracts can be static or slowly progressive. Macular degeneration is slowly progressive, while retinal detachment is rapidly progressive.
- pulmonary disease.
- diabetic glomerulosclerosisis slowly progressive.
- , is a relatively static form of reduced insulin secretion.
- Joints: Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are slowly progressive forms of arthritis.
- Nerves: Essential tremor is a slowly progressive neurological disorder which is usually genetically passed down.
- Cancer: the abnormal growth of body cells
References
- ^ "Progressive illnesses". Edge Hill University. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
- ^ "progressive-disease". www.cancer.gov. 2011-02-02. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
- ^ "Cancer". www.who.int. Retrieved 2024-02-18.