lifestyle diseases

• Lifestyle diseases

  Diseases linked to lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, and stress
• Adaptations to exercise

  • Have a preventative effect on many lifestyle diseases
• Diseases linked to the cardiovascular system

  • Atherosclerosis
  • Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
  • Heart Attack
  • Stroke
• Diseases linked to the respiratory system

  • Asthma
  • COPD
• Atherosclerosis

  The build-up of fatty deposits that form a hard plaque on arterial walls, progressively narrowing the lumen and reducing blood flow. This increases the likelihood of blood clots forming. Arterial walls become thick and hardened, reducing their ability to vasodilate/constrict and leading to chronic high blood pressure (hypertension).
• Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)

  Results from atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, reducing blood flow to the heart muscle and limiting oxygen supply, leading to angina or heart attack.
• Heart Attack

  If a piece of fatty plaque breaks away, a blood clot may form and severely or totally block a coronary artery, cutting off oxygen supply to an area of the cardiac muscle and causing death of cells and permanent damage.
• Stroke

  A blockage in a cerebral artery (ischaemic stroke) or a blood vessel bursting within or on the surface of the brain (haemorrhagic stroke).
• Exercise can reduce the overall risk of developing some form of CHD by approximately 30%
• The 8 ways in which regular training can help prevent CHD

  1. Cholesterol reduction

  2. Cardiac muscle hypertrophy

  3. Increased oxygen blood flow to muscles

  4. Increased coronary circulation

  5. Decreased blood viscosity

  6. Slowed atherosclerosis

  7. Body fat reduction

  8. Decreased stroke risk
• Cholesterol

  Reducing blood lipids (fats) and turning HDL's into LDL's will slow the development of atherosclerosis
• Cardiac muscle hypertrophy

  Will result in increased ventricular contractility and stroke volume, increasing the efficiency of the heart and reducing strain and blood pressure
• Increased oxygen blood flow to muscles

  Makes it easier to exercise by reducing fatigue, placing less strain on the heart and lowering blood pressure due to increased blood volume and RBC
• Increased coronary circulation

  The coronary arterioles gain an increase in diameter and density, reducing the likelihood of heart attacks
• Decreased blood viscosity

  Helps to prevent blood clots forming and reduces blood pressure
• Slowed atherosclerosis

  Prevents the hardening and loss of elasticity in the arterial walls due to regular vasodilation/constriction from exercise, slowing down the development of atherosclerosis
• Body fat reduction

  Helps manage weight, reducing the strain placed on the heart
• Decreased stroke risk

  Reduces the chance of stroke by 27% due to lowering blood pressure and weight
• Atherosclerosis

  Down the development of
• Body fat reduction

  This will help manage weight reducing the strain placed on the heart
• Stroke risk decreases

  Reduces the chance of stroke by 27% due to lowering BP and weight
• The 8 ways in which regular training can help prevent CHD

  1. C = Cholesterol

  2. H = Hypertrophy of the cardiac muscle

  3. I = Increase O2 blood flow to muscles

  4. C = Coronary circulation increases

  5. D = Decreases blood viscosity

  6. A = Atherosclerosis is slowed down

  7. B = Body fat reduction

  8. S = Stroke risk decreases
• Hypertrophy of the cardiac muscle

  Will result in increased ventricular contractility and stroke volume which will increase the efficiency of the heart. Therefore less strain on the heart and lower blood pressure
• Increase O2 blood flow to muscles

  Easier to exercise as it will reduce the onset of fatigue. This places less strain on the heart and lowers blood pressure due to increased blood volume and RBC
• Coronary circulation increases

  (increase blood flow around the heart) the coronary arterioles gain an increase in diameter and density resulting in reducing the likelihood of heart attacks
• Decreases blood viscosity

  Help to prevent blood clots forming and reduces blood pressure
• Atherosclerosis is slowed down

  Prevents the hardening (and therefore loss of elasticity) in the atrial walls due to regular vasodilation / constriction form exercise slowing down the development of atherosclerosis
• Positive effects

  • Reduces the risk of CHD due to reducing the risk of a heart attack
  • Reduces high blood pressure due to a reduced blood viscosity and therefore decreasing the likelihood of a stroke
  • Decreases the risk of atherosclerosis with a reduced risk of blood clots
  • Reduction in weight which places less strain on joints
  • Reduces the risk of Type 2 Diabetes
  • Overall – less strain placed on the cardiac muscle
• Negative effects

  • Exercise can increase the risk of heart attack as it causes very high blood pressure which puts a severe strain on the heart although the risk is very small (e.g. people die in the London Marathon) especially if they have a pre-existing CV condition
  • Other risk factors still exist (e.g. heredity conditions) and exercise can only manage the symptom not cure it
  • Other methods also needed in conjunction with exercise e.g. give up smoking, limit alcohol and eat a healthier diet
• TWO common respiratory diseases

  • Asthma
  • COPD
• Asthma

  The constriction of the bronchial airways and inflammation of the mucus membranes which restrict airways and limit breathing
• Asthma symptoms

  • Shortness of breath
  • Wheezing
  • Coughing (due to the drying of the airway membrane)
  • Presence of an allergen (dust, pollutants, pollen, fumes)
• COPD

  An umbrella term for one or more respiratory diseases such as severe asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema, where persistent inflammation leads to permanent damage in the airways and lung tissue
• COPD symptoms

  • Persistent coughing
  • Breathing difficulty
  • Regular chest infections
  • Reduced lung capacity
• COPD signs

  • Thickening of bronchiole walls
  • Increased mucus production
  • Alveoli damage
  • Decrease in lung tissue elasticity
• leading a sedentary lifestyle will limit the use of the lower lobes of the lung tissue, increasing the risk of infection
• Physical activity can have a significant preventative effect on developing respiratory diseases by

  1. Increasing the strength of the respiratory muscles (e.g. sternocleidomastoid, Pectoralis Minor)

  2. Decreases resting and sub-maximal frequency of breathing, this will reduce the onset of fatigue and therefore making everyday tasks easier

  3. If Inspiratory Muscle Training is undertaken, an increase airflow and alleviation of breathlessness can enhance the quality of life

  4. Maintaining the full use of lung tissue and elasticity, this will decrease of any infections associated with COPD

  5. An increase surface area of alveoli and pulmonary capillaries will maximise the efficiency of gaseous exchange
• Three stages to answer the question

  • Part 1 = Description of CV lifestyle diseases
  • Part 2 = Application of regular training on the CV system that affect lifestyle diseases
  • Part 3 = Evaluating the +ve and -ve effects of regular training on the CV system