Effectiveness and feasibility of lifestyle and low-cost pharmacologic interventions in the prevention of chronic diseases: a review.

Chronic diseases are already major causes of morbidity and mortality in Iran, similar to what is seen in other countries. However, there doesn't yet exist a comprehensive plan to cope with the epidemic of chronic diseases in Iran. Several lifestyle and low-cost pharmacological interventions have been proposed to reduce the burden of chronic diseases. Lifestyle interventions require a comprehensive infrastructure that can be quite costly in this country, but several components of extensive lifestyle interventions, including self-help materials and brief advice by health workers, can be integrated into the existing system. Pharmacological interventions may have substantial contribution to the capacity and preparation of Iran's healthcare system to confront the epidemic of chronic diseases. Further research needs to be performed to determine the feasibility and efficacy of each of these methods in order for policy makers to take the appropriate measures on adopting each of these strategies to prevent and control chronic diseases.