The compendium shows that lifestyle interventions, such as changes in diet, exercise, sleep, relaxation and social connectedness, have a demonstrable positive effect on the treatment of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer, rheumatism, mental health problems and dementia.
‘Without structural attention to lifestyle, treatments often remain suboptimal and not sustainably effective,’ says Hanneke Molema (programme manager of the Lifestyle in Healthcare Coalition, TNO). ‘We now know what works. The next step is to make this a structural part of healthcare practice.’
The new Knowledge Bundle provides an overview of the most important scientific studies of the past five years. This makes the document an up-to-date and solid basis for further research and implementation of lifestyle medicine.
For knowledge institutions, including universities, university medical centres and applied research organisations, now is the time to bridge the gap between science and practice. The bundle makes it clear that the evidence is not only growing in volume, but also in quality: more and more studies are demonstrating clinically relevant improvements in health, well-being and medication use.
It is now important to invest in implementation research and knowledge sharing so that proven interventions can be applied more widely.
Healthcare professionals and healthcare institutions play a key role in structurally embedding lifestyle in healthcare. The knowledge bundle shows that lifestyle interventions should no longer be seen as “additional”, but as a fully-fledged and effective part of treatment.
For hospitals, general practices and mental health institutions, this means that lifestyle discussions should become a natural part of every treatment programme.
However, recent research by the Dutch Patient Federation shows that 53% of patients indicate that lifestyle is not yet discussed with their healthcare provider. The call to healthcare administrators and professionals is clear: make lifestyle part of the care pathway, of policy and of the conversation with the patient.
According to the RIVM, the number of people with a chronic condition will rise to almost 12 million by 2050. Without change, healthcare costs will increase from £113 billion in 2022 to £202 billion in 2050. The knowledge bundle makes it clear that the structural embedding of lifestyle in healthcare not only yields health benefits, but is also crucial to making healthcare future-proof. Jochen Mierau (professor of health economics, UMCG / Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health): "The scientific basis for lifestyle medicine has not only become broader in recent years, but also stronger. We are seeing increasingly robust evidence that lifestyle interventions actually contribute to better recovery and reduced medication use in chronic conditions. This means that lifestyle is no longer a side issue, but an essential part of effective and future-proof healthcare. The challenge now lies in structurally translating this evidence into everyday healthcare practice."
Lifestyle4Health and the Lifestyle in Healthcare Coalition are calling on policymakers, researchers, healthcare professionals and patients to work together to accelerate the transition. ‘Health should be the logical outcome of our healthcare system, not a coincidence,’ says Hanneke Molema. ‘That requires cooperation, courage and structural choices for lifestyle in healthcare.’
