In medicine, a chronic disease is a disease that is long-lasting or recurrent. The term chronic describes the course of the disease, or its rate of onset and development. A chronic course is distinguished from a recurrent course; recurrent diseases relapse repeatedly, with periods of remission in between. As an adjective, chronic can refer to a persistent and lasting medical condition. Chronicity is usually applied to a condition that lasts more than three months. Diabetes is a good example. medicines, see medication and pharmacology. ... The term disease refers to an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs function. ... In Medicine, a course of medication is a period of continuous treatment with a drug, sometimes with variable dosage. ... In Medicine, a course of medication is a period of continuous treatment with a drug, sometimes with variable dosage. ... Recurrent redirects here; for the meaning of recurrent in CHR airplay, see Recurrent rotation. ... A relapse (etymologically, who falls again) occurs when a person is affected again by a condition that affected them in the past. ... Remission is the state of absence of disease activity in patients with known chronic illness. ...

The definition of a disease or causative conditon may depend on the disease being chronic, and the term will often appear in the description:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Chronic hepatitis
• Chronic leukemia
• Chronic arthritis
• POTS

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term for a group of respiratory tract diseases that are characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. ... Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome (PVFS), and various other names, is a syndrome (or group of syndromes) of unknown and possibly multiple etiologies, affecting the central nervous system (CNS) and possibly the immune system as well as other organs. ... Hepatitis (plural hepatitides) implies injury to liver characterised by presence of inflammatory cells in the liver tissue. ... Leukemia or leukaemia (see spelling differences) is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow and is characterized by an abnormal proliferation (production by multiplication) of blood cells, usually white blood cells (leukocytes). ... Arthritis (from Greek arthro-, joint + -itis, inflammation; plural: arthritides) is a group of conditions where there is damage caused to the joints of the body. ... Orthostatic intolerance is the failure of the body to properly adjust to an upright position, especially with respect to blood flow, heart rate, and blood pressure. ...

Chronic as a metaphor

The term "chronic" is often used as a figure of speech, comparing a problem to a chronic disease; one of the more common uses is chronic inflation (in macroeconomics). A figure of speech, sometimes termed a rhetoral, or elocution, is a word or phrase that departs from straightforward, literal language. ... Chronic inflation is characterized by much higher price increases than ordinary inflation, at annual rates of 10 to 30 per cent in some industrial nations and even 100 per cent or more in a few developing countries. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

See also

• Acute (medical)
• Homeopathic theory of chronic diseases
• Chronic pain
• Course (medicine)
• Disease management (health)