Effect of Lifestyle on Non-Communicable Diseases

• Risk factors are linked to an increased rate of disease
• Some risk factors cause a disease directly
• Smoking has been directly proven to cause cardiovascular disease, lung disease, and lung cancer
• smoking damages the walls of arteries and the cells in the lining of the lungs
• Obesity can cause type 2 diabetes, by making the body less sensitive or resistant to insulin, meaning that it struggles to control the concentration of glucose in the blood
• Drinking too much alcohol has been proven to cause liver disease. Too much alcohol can affect brain function too, by damaging nerve cells in the brain and causing the brain to lose volume
• Smoking when pregnant can cause lots of health problems for the unborn baby
• Cancer can be directly caused by exposure to certain substances or radiation. Things that cause cancer are known as carcinogens. an example is ionising radiation from x rays
• some risk factors are correlation, not causation. For example, lack of exercise and a high fat diet are linked to cardiovascular disease, but do not directly cause it. Its the subsequent high blood pressure and buildup of 'bad' cholesterol that cause it.
• The human cost of non-communicable diseases is that tens of millions of people every year suffer from a shortened lifespan or reduced quality of life due to these diseases. This affects the sufferers themselves and their families.
• The financial impact of non-communicable diseases is that the cost to the NHS to research treat them is huge, and its the same for organisations and individuals around the world.

  Families may have to rearrange their lives to support a family member, which is very costly.

  A reduction in the number of people who can work affects a country's economy.