Introduction
Precision medicine is shaping a new pathway in healthcare, especially for chronic diseases. It has been indicated that 10 to 30% of children and 60% of US adults have at least one chronic condition, with one in four managing multiple conditions. Not only do these conditions reduce patients’ quality of life, but they also impose significant socioeconomic burdens, accounting for 85% of healthcare costs. These statistics highlight the importance of innovative cost-effective approaches in chronic diseases. What are chronic diseases, and why is precision medicine crucial in managing them? This blog will address the above and dive into the innovative approach of 3D-printed medication for chronic disease management.
What are chronic diseases?
Chronic diseases refer to a wide range of medical conditions, including asthma, diabetes, gastrointestinal and heart problems. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic conditions are illnesses that persist for one or more years and require ongoing medical attention or limit daily activities.
These conditions are polygenic and heterogeneous, manifesting in varied symptoms and patient subgroups with distinct etiologies, severities, and responses to therapy. Unlike cancer or rare diseases, which often stem from specific genetic mutations, chronic diseases result from complex interactions among multiple genes, making them challenging to analyze and treat effectively.
The 10 most common chronic diseases
Among the ten most common chronic diseases in older adults, hypertension, high cholesterol, arthritis, ischemic heart disease, and diabetes top the list. Chronic kidney disease, heart failure, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) round out the roster, underscoring the wide-ranging impact of chronic conditions on individuals and healthcare systems alike.
Most common childhood chronic diseases
When it comes to children these examples of chronic diseases slightly differ. Common childhood chronic diseases include a range of conditions, such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, congenital heart disease, diabetes mellitus, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression. These ailments often require ongoing management and medical attention, impacting the lives of children and their families.
Understanding the complexities of these diseases is vital for developing targeted interventions that improve outcomes and alleviate the burden on patients and society.
Why is precision medicine important for chronic diseases?
The complexity of chronic diseases only emphasizes the need for precision medicine, especially in the context of polypharmacy. Their management often demands long-term pharmacotherapy, involving multiple medications along, with drug monitoring and regular follow-ups. Yet, even if two people are diagnosed with the same disease, they may have different causes, progressions, and responses to these treatments.
This variability shows that traditional one-size-fits-all approaches to healthcare are limited. Precision medicine aims to personalize treatment approaches based on the varying genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that influence an individual’s health.
However, the success of precision medicine relies on addressing challenges related to patient compliance and medication adherence. Both factors are essential for achieving optimal therapeutic results. Deviations from prescribed medication regimens may necessitate dosage adjustments, potentially leading to adverse effects.
Precision medicine is especially crucial in pediatric care. Children face unique medication adherence challenges due to taste preferences, difficulty swallowing pills, and varying developmental stages affecting drug metabolism. Precision medicine tailors treatments to the specific physiological and developmental characteristics of children.
Thus, precision dosing becomes paramount, particularly in the context of polypharmacy, to ensure safe and effective treatment for individuals with chronic diseases.
If you want to learn more about how precision dosing improves pediatric medication click here.
3d printed medicine for chronic disease management
Precision dosing offers a personalized approach to medication regimens, tailoring them to individual patients and paving the way for precision medicine. Advancements in the field of 3D printing have revolutionized healthcare by enabling personalized dosage forms to be manufactured on demand, making the process more versatile and cost-effective.
3D printing stands out as a game-changing method, allowing for the creation of customized medication formulations. These formulations can take various forms, including extended-release or sustained-release formulations, oro-dispersible tablets, and polypills. This approach holds great potential for the management of chronic diseases, where patients require multiple medications.
By combining different drugs into a single dosage form, 3D-printed pills not only simplify medication dosing but also offer controlled release mechanisms, reducing the need for frequent dosing. This not only enhances patient adherence but also contributes to cost reduction, as a single formulation can address therapeutic needs for multiple chronic diseases simultaneously.
Moreover, the flexibility of pharmaceutical 3D printing goes beyond just selecting the right dose. It allows for the creation of fully customized pills, where factors like shape, size, color, and texture can be tailored to individual preferences and needs. This level of personalization represents a significant departure from the traditional “one-size-fits-all” approach to medication production.
Outlook
When it comes to chronic diseases most people don’t suffer; they endure. For far too long, chronic disease patients have had to compromise with polypharmacy and standardized medication doses that do not fit their personalized requirements.
Precision dosing in combination with 3D printing technology can transform the management of chronic diseases, not only for adults but also for children. They have made it possible to customize medication regimens, manufacture medicines on demand, and produce them cost-effectively.
3D printing methods offer a promising solution to the underlying causes of drug non-compliance. With the shift towards patient-centric care, 3D-printed pills are leading the revolution of precision medicine and can redefine chronic disease management.
Discover how at Doser we create personalised doses here!
