non communicable diseases

• Non-communicable diseases

  • Cancer
  • Diabetes
  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • Chronic respiratory diseases e.g. asthma
• Risk factor


  A variable associated with a greater chance of developing a disease or infection
• Factors that can affect the risk of developing a non-communicable disease

  • Lifestyle factors e.g. diet, exercise, alcohol, smoking
  • Environmental factors e.g. exposure to pollution
  • Genetics e.g. alleles that increase the risk of cancer
• How exercise affects the risk of some non-communicable diseases

  1. Regular exercise decreases fat stores, reducing obesity (a risk factor of CVD and type 2 diabetes)

  2. It decreases heart rate, recovery time and blood pressure, lowering the risk of CVD
• How diet affects the risk of some non-communicable diseases

  1. Diet high in saturated fat raises blood cholesterol levels, increasing the deposition of fatty deposits in the arteries ∴ greater risk of CVD

  2. Obesity and the consumption of large amounts of simple-sugars increases the risk of type 2 diabetes

  3. Malnourishment increases the risk of deficiency diseases
• Deficiency diseases

  • Scurvy (vitamin C deficiency)
  • Anaemia (iron deficiency)
• Body Mass Index (BMI)


  A value based on height and mass used to categorise an individual as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese

  
• BMI is not always an accurate measure of obesity

  
• Waist-to-hip ratio higher than 1.0 in males or 0.85 in females


  Indicates abdominal obesity and increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes

  
• How alcohol affects the risk of some non-communicable diseases

  1. Alcohol broken down into toxic products in the liver which build-up and cause cirrhosis (scarring of liver tissue)

  2. Alcohol raises blood pressure thus increasing the risk of CVD

  3. Toxic products in alcohol can cause mutations to DNA, increasing the risk of cancer (mouth, throat, liver etc.)
• How smoking affects the risk of some non-communicable diseases

  1. Nicotine raises heart rate, increasing the risk of CVD

  2. Carbon monoxide lowers the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen, heart rate increases, increasing the risk of CVD

  3. Carcinogens in tar can cause mutations to DNA, increasing the risk of cancer (mouth, throat, lung etc.)

  4. Smoking increases the risk of lung diseases e.g. chronic bronchitis
• How environmental factors affect the risk of some non-communicable diseases

  1. Long-term exposure to pollution damages the airways, increasing the risk of lung diseases and lung cancer

  2. Exposure to UV radiation damages DNA, increasing the risk of DNA mutations and skin cancer
• How genetics affect the risk of some non-communicable diseases

  1. The risks of some diseases such as type 2 diabetes, lung cancer and CVD are increased if a family member has had these conditions

  2. Faulty genes can be inherited which increase the risk of conditions such as breast cancer
• How diseases interact with each other

  • Some diseases may cause other infections to develop e.g. HIV weakens the immune system, making an individual more susceptible to other infections such as TB
  • Some diseases reduce the risk of contracting other infections e.g. Trichinosis reduces the development of Crohn's disease
• HIV weakens the immune system


  Makes an individual more susceptible to other infections such as TB
• Effects of non-communicable disease

  • Increased incidence puts a strain on local hospitals with limited resources
  • Increased pressure on NHS to provide treatment to a larger number of patients, sickness-related absence impacts a country's economy
  • High prevalence of malnutrition in LEDCs slows the development of such countries which in turn impacts global development