Prevention: then and now

Abstract

This paper analyses the concept of preventive medicine, from prehistoric times to the modern era, which deals with disease prevention, health promotion, and health preservation. Its goal is to identify diseases on time and enable optimal treatment to prevent a decline in the quality of life and the onset of disability. The eradication of a disease is considered the greatest success of preventive medicine. Primary prevention is aimed at healthy individuals, to prevent the onset of diseases. Examples include vaccination in the control of infectious diseases or the removal of risk factors, such as smoking, unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle, etc., in the case of chronic diseases. Secondary prevention targets patients in the early stage of a disease, to halt its progression and the onset of disease-related consequences. An example is the early detection of high blood pressure when there are no symptoms yet. Tertiary prevention relates to conditions and diseases that can no longer be treated, such as the terminal stages of malignant diseases. The goal is to preserve the quality of life, primarily by alleviating the pain that patients suffer. Measures for early disease detection (screening) and timely disease recognition are still considered the most important tools provided by modern medicine. The common goal of disease prevention and health promotion is to preserve and enhance health, and the active participation of all stakeholders within and outside of the healthcare system is essential in this process. This includes health education and awareness, administrative, taxation, and organisational measures as well as community activities. However, although health is a social responsibility, it primarily falls on the individual. In this sense, general lifestyle changes are far more important, effective, and cost-effective than pharmacotherapy because health is a state of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, not merely the absence of disease.