Chronic diseases are illnesses that are prolonged, do not resolve spontaneously and may not be cured completely. Chronic diseases account for 7 of the 10 leading causes of death in Michigan and are responsible for a great deal of morbidity and disability. Nearly 60% of Michigan's adult population suffers from a chronic disabling condition, such as arthritis, heart disease, hypertension, or diabetes. In addition, over 95% of Michigan adults report behaviors that lead to many chronic diseases, such as smoking, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and alcohol use.

The Chronic Disease Epidemiology Section provides an epidemiologic understanding of prevention, management, and control of chronic diseases in Michigan.  The Section supports the planning, targeting and evaluation needs of a variety of departmental programs, as well as identifies new trends and associations in chronic disease prevention and control.     

Staff of the Chronic Disease Epidemiology Section are funded to work in asthma, arthritis, behavioral risk factor surveillance, cardiovascular health, diabetes, disabilities, lupus, stroke, and genomics.  Additional work is conducted in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dementias, depression & anxiety, epilepsy, health disparities, osteoporosis, and many other areas. 

Focus Areas: Click on the focus areas below to access surveillance data and epidemiologic findings for selected diseases and conditions.