Addiction is comparable to other chronic diseases. Using imaging technology to measure metabolism (in this case, glucose uptake) in the brain and heart, one can see that both addiction and heart disease produce observable changes. In each pair of images, the healthy organ shows greater activity (reds and yellows) than the diseased organ. In drug addiction, the frontal cortex is affected, which is a part of the brain associated with judgment and decision-making. Like heart disease, drug addiction can be prevented and treated successfully, and if untreated, its effects can last a lifetime.