Understanding health from a complex systems perspective.

Area of Science:

• Integrative medicine
• Theoretical biology
• Complex systems science

Background:

• Current bio-psycho-social models of health can be enhanced with theoretical rigor.
• Thermodynamics and non-linear dynamics offer frameworks for understanding health complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an advanced theoretical model for human health, illness, and disease.
• To integrate principles of thermodynamics and non-linear dynamics into health sciences.

Main Methods:

• Modeling human health potential as probability curves over time.
• Representing maximum health as maximum functional complexity.
• Analyzing the relationship between complexity, entropy, and energy to model health trajectories.

Main Results:

• A complex surface modeling the human health experience from birth to death was developed.
• The model unites concepts of complexity and entropy to describe health trajectories.
• The proposed model allows for novel predictions and validation opportunities.

Conclusions:

• The new model expands upon existing health theories by incorporating complexity and entropy.
• This theoretical framework offers a more nuanced understanding of the human health experience.
• The model provides a testable hypothesis for future research in health and disease.