non-communicable diseases and cancer

• non-communicable disease


  not passed from one organism to another
• Are non-communicable diseases infectious?

  no
• How are non-communicable diseases caused?

  1. inherited - some people carry a gene that predisposes them to some conditions (e.g. some cancers)

  2. lifestyle factors -poor diet: excess sugar and fat intake;

  - lack of exercise: energy used in exercise being lower than energy intake is the cause of obesity;

  - overexposure to the sun: ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes mutations leading to skin cancer;

  - misuse of drugs:
• why does diet have a major effect on our health?

  eating too many foods high in sugar and fat can mean that:

  1. the individual can become overweight and obesity can result

  2. the individual will not be getting a balanced diet and probably not enough fruit and vegetables so they miss out on essential vitamins and minerals
• why does exercise have a major effect on our health?

  if the energy used in exercise is less than the amount we eat then you risk becoming overweight or obese.
• why is exercise good for the body?

  using energy.

  the right type of exercise can strengthen our bones, help our circulatory system and improve our mood
• why does overexposure to the sun have a major effect on our health?

  too much UV (ultraviolet) radiation from the sun or sun beds can cause skin cancer (melanoma). the UV light can cause mutations (changes to DNA/genes) that can lead to cancer.

  this can be reduced by reducing time spent in the strong sun, covering up and using sun lotion
• why does misuse of drugs (alcohol) have a major effect on our health?

  long-term excessive drinking of alcohol can damage the liver as well as many other parts of the body. drinking heavily during pregnancy can cause serious damage to the foetus including brain damage (foetal alcohol syndrome).

  alcohol is poisonous and it damages nerve cells in the brain and can kill liver cells. it can also affect the stomach and cause stomach ulcers.
• what is an alcoholic and why may many die?

  someone who is addicted to alcohol. many die of a disease called cirrhosis - a condition in which scar tissue replaces normal healthy tissue and over time prevents the liver from working properly
• why may babies of alcoholic women have a low birth mass?

  damage has been caused to the brain and liver of their baby as well as slowing down how quickly it grows
• what is binge drinking?

  when a large amount of alcohol is consumed over a short period of time.
• what can drinking too much, too quickly on a single occasion increase your risk of?

  - accidents resulting in injury, causing death in some cases

  - misjudging risky situations

  - losing self-control (e.g. having unprotected sex)
• what may communicable diseases involve?

  interactions between different types of disease
• what are the harmful substances in cigarettes?

  nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide
• harmful effect of nicotine

  main addictive ingredient in cigarettes. it is rapidly absorbed into the blood and reaches the brain in about 10 seconds (this is when the smoker experiences a 'hit' - this is when the receptors in the brain produce chemicals called dopamines). nicotine stimulates the the CNS, increasing the heart beat rate and blood pressure (caused by blocked arteries), resulting in the heart needing more oxygen.
• harmful effect of of carbon monoxide

  prevents the blood from carrying oxygen around the body by binding to the blood's haemoglobin
• harmful effect of tar

  sticky yellow-brown substance which stains smokers teeth and fingers. it coats the lining of the lungs making them less able to take in oxygen. also contains carcinogens which cause cancer. also causes bronchitis, emphysema and lung cancer
• What is bronchitis?

  narrowing of bronchi and bronchioles due to inflammation
• what are bronchioles

  the bronchi branch off on either side of your windpipe (trachea). they lead to smaller and smaller airways inside your lungs (bronchioles)
• what do the walls of the bronchi produce?

  mucus to trap dust and other particles that could cause infection
• when do most cases of bronchitis develop?

  when an infection irritates and inflames the bronchi, causing them to produce more mucus than usual. your body tries to shift this extra mucus through coughing.
• what are the symptoms of chronic bronchitis? what is the most importantly 'treatment'?

  coughing and breathlessness

  treatment - quit smoking
• what is emphysema?


  progressive lung condition which leaves sufferers struggling for breath
• what is emphysema caused by?

  gradual damage to the structure of the lungs, which makes it harder to exhale
• what are the alveoli and what happens to them if someone has emphysema?

  alveoli are tiny air sacs in the lungs through which oxygen is absorbed into the bloodstream. they lose their natural elasticity, meaning spent air is not pushed back out of the lungs. (damage to alveoli reducing surface area for gas exchange)
• problems with emphysema

  makes it hard to catch your breath.

  chronic cough and hard to breath during exercise
• what is lung cancer caused by?

  abnormal cell division in the lungs
• lung cancer symptoms


  - persistent cough

  - coughing up blood

  - persistent breathlessness

  - unexplained tiredness and weight loss

  - an ache or pain when breathing or coughing
• What are cardiovascular diseases caused by (heart attack and stroke)?

  buildup of cholesterol and other fatty substances within the body's arteries.
• what do coronary arteries carry to the heart muscle?

  blood and glucose
• what does the heart muscle need to contract?

  energy from respiration. respiration requires glucose and oxygen
• what happens is a coronary artery becomes blocked?

  less oxygen gets to heart muscle. the muscle cells after the blockage wouldn't be able to respire and so they would die. this is a heart attack
• cardiac arrest


  when the heart stops beating altogether
• what is a blockage in the coronary artery caused by?

  fatty deposits (cholesterol) which stick to the artery wall. this narrows the lumen of the artery and slows down the blood flow through it.
• thrombosis


  the cholesterol causes the artery walls to become rough, this can cause red blood cells to stick to it and form a blood clot (thrombosis)
• angina


  when the coronary artery gets partly blocked and causes chest pains. this happens when not enough oxygen is getting to the heart muscle
• explain how a stroke occurs

  if the blockage is in the blood vessels supplying the brain, a stroke can occur. the cells (in the brain) do not receive oxygen and glucose therefore they cannot respire. the cells in the brain die and the affected part of the brain stops working properly. this can cause paralysis to some parts of the body.
• what are the treatments for cardiovascular diseases?

  angioplasty and stents, drugs (e.g. stations and aspirin)
• what is an angiograph?

  it allows doctors to see inside a blood vessel. it is a medical imaging technique that allows doctors to see inside blood vessels.
• why is dye added in an angioplasty?

  it is added to the blood through a thin tube that is inserted into a blood vessel that is close to the skin. the dye helps provide contrast necessary when viewing the affected blood vessel