risk factors for NCDs

• risk factors are things that are linked to an increase in the liklihood that a person will develop a certain disease in their lifetime
• risk factors are often aspects of a person lifestyle
• risk factors can also be the presence of certain substances in the environment or substances in your body
• many NCDs are caused by several different risk factors interacting with each other rather than one factor alone
• examples of risk factors are: smoking and drinking
• smoking directly causes cardiovascular disease, lung disease and lung cancer.
• smoking damages the walls of arteries and the cells in the lining of the lungs
• smoking when pregnant reduces the amount of oxygen the baby receives in the womb and causes lots of health problems for the unborn baby
• drinking too much alcohol has been shown to cause liver disease
• the liver breaks down alcohol, but the reaction can damage its cells
• liver cells may also be damaged by drinking, when toxic chemicals leak from the gut due to damage to the intestines caused by alcohol
• too much alcohol can affect the brain
• alcohol can damage the nerve cells in the brain, causing the brain to lose volume
• drinking alcohol when pregnant can damage the baby's cells, affecting its development and causing a wide range of health issues
• risk factors can be identified using correlations
• risk factors are identified by scientists looking for correlations in data - however, correlation doesn't always = the cause
• some risk factors aren't capable of directly causing a disease, but are related to another risk factor that is