Lifestyle and disease

• Non-communicable diseases are the biggest cause of death in the UK, massively outweighing infectious diseases
• 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
• 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
• Pregnant women are advised not to smoke at all or drink any alcohol, as both can harm the unborn baby
• Excessive alcohol consumption by adults


  Increases the risk of liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and can affect the brain leading to addiction and memory loss
• 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