Medical research seeks to expand knowledge, and observe findings and characteristics in chronic disease; but, is seldom designed to identify a cause of chronic disease. Researchers may search for a single pathogen, and not consider the effect of multiple pathogens working together to cause chronic disease; or that different pathogens or combinations of pathogens can cause the same chronic disease in different patients.  Reports on the outcomes of medical research are often limited to reports of “associations”, between pathogens and chronic diseases.

Doctors in medical practice are not encouraged to treat patients based on reports of an “association”, between a pathogen and a chronic disease, by employers, insurers, and peer pressure.  One example is the many reports of the “association” between Alzheimer’s and chlamydia pneumonia; yet, most medical practitioners have never diagnosed and treated chlamydia pneumonia, or treated chlamydia pneumonia in an Alzheimer’s patient.

Finding the causes of chronic diseases requires a broader view, accepting infectious causes of chronic disease, working across specialties, and medical practitioners and researchers working together to confirm causes and find the best and safest treatments.