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AQA Biology
Lifestyle and Disease
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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