Non communicable diseases and lifestyle

Cards (13)

  • risk factor
    • any attribute, characteristic or exposure of an individual that increases the chance of contracting a certain disease/injury
  • lifestyle
    • the way in which someone chooses to live their life
  • causal mechanism
    • something t hat explains how 1 factor influences another
    • i.e the link between 2+ factors
  • correlation
    • a pattern in data, when 2 sets of data are strongly linked together
    • this doesn't always mean one has caused the other
    • a correlation is a link between 2 factors such as a non communicable disease and a lifestyle factor
  • risk factors that can contribute
    • CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE:
    • genetics, high cholesterol, obesity
    • CANCER:
    • radiation exposure, smoking, obesity
    • LUNG DISEASE:
    • pollution exposure, other carcinogens
    • DIABETES:
    • family history, lack of exercise, obesity, age 45+
  • Nicotine
    • produces sense of calm, well being and a feeling of being able to cope
  • Carbon monoxide
    • poisonous gas found in tobacco smoke- takes up some oxygen carrying capacity of the blood
  • Tar
    • sticky black chemical that accumulates in lungs, turns them pink > grey
    • smokers are more likely to develop bronchitis
    • tar build up in lung tissue can lead to a breakdown ion alveoli structure, causing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • SMOKING IN PREGNANCY
    • woman needs to carry oxygen for her and foetus
    • woman's blood has CO, the shortage in oxygen can make the foetus grow improperly
    • can lead to premature births, low birthweight babies and stillborns
  • TOBACCO SMOKE AND THE TRACHEA
    • cilia can be anaesthetised by some chemicals in the smoke
    • they stop working, allow dirt and pathogens down to the lungs, risk of infection
  • SMOKING
    • narrows blood vessels in skin, aging it|
    • nicotine makes hearts race
    • other chemicals damage artery lining, coronary heart disease more likely
    • mix of chemicals in cigarette smoke increases blood pressure
    • combination of effects > increase in likelihood of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and strokes
  • ALCOHOL AND THE LIVER/BRAIN
    • cirrhosis of liver can develop, disease that destroys liver tissue
    • active liver cells are replaced with scar tissue - can't carry out vital functions
    • alcohol is a carcinogen > risk of liver cancer
    • long term alcohol can cause brain damage- it becomes soft and pulpy, normal brain structures are lost and won't function
  • ALCOHOL AND UNBORN BABIES
    • alcohol passed via placenta to baby > leads to stillborn, miscarriages
    • baby's developing liver can't cope with alcohol so brain/liver development of baby can be badly affected