Life course approach and preventive strategies for non-communicable diseases

This article reviews the role of the life course concept in the prevention and treatment strategies of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) from the fetal origins of NCDs and the existing causal mechanism models to explore the influences of the life course on NCDs. This article summarizes the occurrence and development of NCDs from a life course perspective, emphasizing that it can provide timely interventions in early life through early identification of high-risk phenotypes and risk markers, and support current efforts for primary prevention of NCDs. At the end, the policy recommendations on synergies between a life course approach to health with sustainable development goals advocated by WHO are addressed.