B10 Non-communicable disease

• Tumours


  Can spread to neighbouring tissues and other parts of the body in the blood, forming secondary tumours
• Non-cancerous tumours


  Do not spread in the body
• Risk factors


  • Lifestyle
  • Genetic
• Risk factor


  Any aspect of your lifestyle or substance in your body that can increase the risk of a disease developing
• Risk factors


  • diet (obesity)
  • amount of exercise
  • alcohol
  • smoking
  • carcinogens, such as ionising radiation
  • genetic risk factors
• Risk factors


  Cause specific diseases
• Risk factors


  Interact to cause other diseases
• Effects of risk factors

  • body does not respond properly to the production of insulin, so blood glucose levels cannot be controlled
  • increased blood cholesterol can lead to CHD
  • long-term alcohol use causes liver cirrhosis (scarring), meaning the liver cannot remove toxins from the body or produce sufficient bile
  • damages the brain and can cause anxiety and depression
  • affected development of unborn babies - alcohol can pass through the placenta, risking miscarriages, premature births, and birth defects
  • cigarettes contain carcinogens which can cause lung disease and cancers
  • affected development of unborn babies - chemicals can pass through the placenta, risking premature births and birth defects
  • for example, tar in cigarettes and ultraviolet rays from the Sun can cause cancers
  • some genetic factors make an individual more likely to develop certain cancers
• Cancer


  The result of changes in cells that lead to uncontrolled growth and division by mitosis
• Tumours


  • Rapid division of abnormal cells can form a tumour
  • Malignant tumours are cancerous tumours that invade neighbouring tissues and spread to other parts of the body in the blood, forming secondary tumours
  • Benign tumours are non-cancerous tumours that do not spread in the body
• Treatment of non-communicable diseases linked to lifestyle risk factors can be very costly, both to individuals and to the Government
• A high incidence of these lifestyle risk factors can cause high rates of non-communicable diseases in a population
• Health


  The state of physical and mental well-being
• Factors that can affect health


  • communicable and non-communicable diseases
  • diet
  • exercise
  • stress
  • life situations
• Defects in the immune system


  Make an individual more likely to suffer from infectious diseases
• Viral infection


  Can trigger cancers
• Immune reactions initially caused by a pathogen


  Can trigger allergies, for example skin rashes and asthma
• Severe physical ill health


  Can lead to depression and other mental illnesses
• Coronary heart disease (CHD)


  Occurs when the coronary arteries become narrowed by the build-up of layers of fatty material within them, reducing the flow of blood and resulting in less oxygen for the heart muscle, which can lead to heart attacks
• Treatments for cardiovascular diseases


  • stent - inserted into blocked coronary arteries to keep them open, widening the artery and allowing more blood to flow, so more oxygen is supplied to the heart
  • statins - drugs that reduce blood cholesterol levels, slowing down the deposit of fatty material in the arteries
  • transplants - faulty heart valves that leak or do not open fully, preventing control of blood flow to the heart, can be replaced with biological or mechanical valves
  • artificial hearts - can be used to keep patients alive while waiting for a heart transplant, or to allow the heart to rest during recovery
• Advantages of treatments


  • less serious surgery
  • effective
  • no need for surgery
  • can prevent CHD from developing
  • allows control of blood flow to the heart
  • long-term cure for faulty heart valves
  • long-term cure for the most serious heart conditions
  • treats problems that cannot be treated in other ways
• Disadvantages of treatments


  • can involve major surgery-risk of infection, blood loss, blood clots, and damage to blood vessels
  • risks from anaesthetic used during surgery
  • possible side effects such as muscle pain, headaches, and sickness
  • cannot cure CHD, so patient will have to take tablets for many years
  • transplant may be rejected if there is not a match between donor and patient
  • lengthy process
  • major surgery - risk of infection and blood loss