Tertiary disease prevention targets

• A. Targets persons who already have a disease; prevent damage and slow progression; prevent complications; give better care; assist people to be able to do what they used to
• B. Prevents disease in healthy individuals
• C. Focus on screening in asymptomatic populations
• D. Cures disease

Answer: (A)

Tertiary prevention targets people who already have a disease and aims to minimize damage, slow progression, prevent complications, and restore or maintain function so individuals can do what they used to. It focuses on reducing the impact of an illness once it has occurred through rehabilitation, ongoing management, and strategies to prevent further deterioration, rather than curing the disease itself. For example, after a heart attack, cardiac rehabilitation and long‑term risk factor management help prevent another event and improve quality of life. After diabetes with complications, controlling blood glucose, treating neuropathy or retinopathy, and addressing kidney health are tertiary efforts. In contrast, prevention aimed at healthy individuals to stop disease from occurring is primary prevention, screening asymptomatic people to find disease early is secondary prevention, and curing disease is not the goal of tertiary prevention.