Lifestyle medicine
Encyclopedia
Lifestyle medicine is defined as the application of environmental, behavioural, medical and motivational principles to the management of lifestyle-related health problems in a clinical setting. It is an established branch of medicine where we discuss lifestyle's contribution to health in addition to non-pharmacological intervention in the treatment and management of lifestyle diseases such as exercise in diabetes mellitus and weight management in obesity. It should not be confused with lifestyle drugs.
Lifestyle medicine is often prescribed in conjunction with a typical medicine approach of pharmacotherapy
. For example, diabetic patients who may be on medication to help control the blood glucose
levels in the short term might also be prescribed a lifestyle intervention of a healthy diet and exercise to assist in the long term management of their pathology
. In some cases lifestyle interventions are more effective when augmented with appropriate pharmacotherapy
, as with tobacco use where medications such as buproprion may be prescribed to assist the patient to quit smoking and adopt a healthy lifestyle change.
The Australian Lifestyle Medicine Association(ALMA) has been set up by representatives of professions involved in the field under the auspices of Southern Cross University
. It is intended to represent the 14 disciplines eligible for medical benefits under the Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) system.
Lifestyle medicine is often prescribed in conjunction with a typical medicine approach of pharmacotherapy
Pharmacotherapy
Pharmacotherapy is the treatment of disease through the administration of drugs. As such, it is considered part of the larger category of therapy....
. For example, diabetic patients who may be on medication to help control the blood glucose
Glucose
Glucose is a simple sugar and an important carbohydrate in biology. Cells use it as the primary source of energy and a metabolic intermediate...
levels in the short term might also be prescribed a lifestyle intervention of a healthy diet and exercise to assist in the long term management of their pathology
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
. In some cases lifestyle interventions are more effective when augmented with appropriate pharmacotherapy
Pharmacotherapy
Pharmacotherapy is the treatment of disease through the administration of drugs. As such, it is considered part of the larger category of therapy....
, as with tobacco use where medications such as buproprion may be prescribed to assist the patient to quit smoking and adopt a healthy lifestyle change.
The Australian Lifestyle Medicine Association(ALMA) has been set up by representatives of professions involved in the field under the auspices of Southern Cross University
Southern Cross University
Southern Cross University is a university based on the North and Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It is a regional University with more than 14,000 students. The University's primary campus is in Lismore, with other campuses located at Coffs Harbour and Tweed Heads.The University is...
. It is intended to represent the 14 disciplines eligible for medical benefits under the Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) system.