About the Center
Chronic diseases are responsible for 7 in 10 deaths each year, and treating people with chronic diseases accounts for many of our nation’s health care costs. We know that most chronic diseases can be prevented by eating well, being physically active, avoiding tobacco and excessive drinking, and getting regular health screenings. CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) helps people and communities prevent chronic diseases and promotes health and wellness for all.
With an FY 2023 budget of more than $1.4 billion, NCCDPHP works to reduce the risk factors for chronic diseases, especially for groups affected by health disparities which are differences in health across different geographic, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.
To meet this goal, NCCDPHP works to:
- Find out how chronic diseases affect populations in the United States.
- Study interventions to find out what works best to prevent and control chronic diseases.
- Fund and guide states, territories, cities, and tribes to use interventions that work.
- Share information to help Americans understand risk factors for chronic diseases and how to reduce them.
Chronic diseases—such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes—are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. They are also leading drivers of the nation’s $4.1 trillion in annual health care costs.
Most chronic diseases are caused by key risk behaviors:
- Tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke.
- Poor nutrition, including diets low in fruits and vegetables and high in sodium and saturated fats.
- Physical inactivity.
- Excessive alcohol use.
These behaviors can lead to conditions such as high blood pressure or obesity, which raise the risk of the most common and serious chronic diseases.
Just as many of the same risk factors can cause or worsen most chronic diseases, many of the same approaches can prevent them or reduce their severity. NCCDPHP promotes chronic disease prevention efforts in four key areas:
- Measuring how many Americans have chronic diseases or chronic disease risk factors.
- Improving environments to make it easier for people to make healthy choices.
- Strengthening health care systems to deliver prevention services that keep people well and diagnose diseases early.
- Connecting clinical services to community programs that help people prevent and manage their chronic diseases and conditions.
