Lifestyle and Disease

Cards (15)

  • Non-communicable diseases

    Diseases that cannot be passed from person to person and are not caused by pathogens
  • Cardiovascular diseases
    • Include coronary heart disease
    • Account for over a quarter of all deaths in the UK
  • Diet high in fat and low in vegetables
    Increases levels of certain types of cholesterol in the blood, increasing the rate that fatty materials build up in the arteries
  • Diet high in salt
    Can increase blood pressure, increasing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases
  • Smoking
    Increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases
  • Regular exercise
    Decreases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases
  • Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer, which is the single greatest cause of death by cancer in the UK
  • Cigarette smoke contains carcinogens, which can trigger cancer
  • Smoking
    Increases the risk of other lung diseases such as emphysema
  • Smoking when pregnant
    Can harm the unborn baby, increasing the risk of miscarriage and premature birth, and leading to the baby being born with a low body mass
  • Drinking alcohol when pregnant
    Can cause fetal alcohol syndrome, leading to learning difficulties and other mental or physical problems in the child
  • Type 2 diabetes

    • People with this condition struggle to control their blood glucose levels
    • Can lead to blindness or require the amputation of a limb
  • Obesity
    Is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes
  • Drinking excess alcohol
    Can lead to obesity, which then increases the risk of type 2 diabetes
  • Some risk factors for non-communicable diseases are not linked to lifestyle, such as radon, a radioactive gas that increases the risk of lung cancer