Lifestyle-related disease in an emergency department setting

Background According to the WHO, non-communicable (noninfectious) diseases account for 90% of all deaths in Denmark. The development of these diseases can often be contributed to lifestyle factors, namely diet, smoking, and alcohol, and, in association with these, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolaemia. One could argue that much of the burden of non-communicable disease actually is preventable disease, and, as such, could be eliminated through modification of lifestyle elements. The purpose of this project was to map the incidence of admissions attributable to lifestylerelated diseases, during November and December 2012 at a Danish Acute Admissions Department.