4.2.2.6 The Effect of Lifestyle on some Non-Communicable Diseases

Question 1

What types of country’s are mostly affected by NCD’s?

Answer 1

• more developed high-income countries are mostly affected by NCD’s
• this is due to their lifestyles
• people live longer but do less, spending their lives in sedentary occupations that require little physical exertion

Question 2

What are the 4 main types of NCD’s?

Answer 2

1. Cardiovascular diseases
2. Diabetes
3. Chronic respiratory diseases
4. Cancer

Question 3

Examples of CD’s:

Answer 3

• HIV
• Hepatitis
• Salmonella
• Chickenpox/shingles
• COVID-19
• Ebola

Question 4

What are the 4 methods that CD’s are transported by?

Answer 4

• direct contact e.g. physical contact with an infected person e.g. through touch
• indirect contact e.g. contact with contaminated surface
• by a vectors - bite from insects or animals capable of transmitting the disease
• airborne (travel through the air) e.g. tuberculosis, measles

Question 5

What do diet, stress and life situations have to do with health?

Answer 5

• Adults who eat a healthy diet live longer and have a lower risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers
• Healthy eating can help people with chronic diseases manage these conditions and avoid complications
• If you’re constantly under stress, you can have physical symptoms, such asheadaches, an upset stomach, high blood pressure, chest pain etc.
• Stress can also lead to emotional problems, depression, panic attacks, or other forms of anxiety and stress
• Lifestyles such as having a sedentary lifestyle with not much exercise can negatively impact your health

Question 6

Risk Factor (WHO definition):

Answer 6

any attribute, characteristic or exposure of an individual that increases the likelihood of developing a disease or an injury

Question 7

What are risk factors and what are some examples of them?

Answer 7

• risk factors are linked to an increased rate of a disease
• e.g. aspects of a persons lifestyle (e.g. their diet), substances in the persons body or environment (asbestos fibres, material used in buildings, found in airways) or environment (UV rays from the sun)

Question 8

Risk factors for health, disease and cancer:

Answer 8

• genetics
• diet e.g. too many red meats
• too high/too low bodyweight
• obesity
• biological sex
• age
• smoking, vaping
• alcohol consumption
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol - genetic and environmental
• stress
• mental health
• fitness/ exercise
• fatigue
• length and quality of sleep
• hydration
• irregular heart beat
• hygiene
• living conditions e.g. water quality
• trauma
• type of work - manual, sedentary etc.

Question 9

Correlation:

Answer 9

• a link or association between two factors
• e.g. if one factor increases as another increases they are correlated

Question 10

Casual mechanism:

Answer 10

explains how one factor affects another using biological reason

Question 11

What risk factors has a casual mechanism been proven for?

Answer 11

A casual mechanism has been proven for some risk factors but not in others:

• the effects of diet, smoking and exercise are risk factors of CVD disease
• obesity affects the body’s metabolism (fat molecules are released into the blood which can affect the cells uptake of sugar) so is a risk factor or Type 2 diabetes
• the effects of alcohol on the liver and brain function
• the effects of smoking on lung disease and lung cancer
• the effects of smoking and alcohol on unborn babies
• carcinogens, including ionising radiation, as risk factors of cancer

Question 12

How do scientists prove causation?

Answer 12

to provide causation (correlation), scientists need to find a casual mechanism - an explanation of how one influences another

Question 13

Casual mechanisms for risk factors of CVD:

Answer 13

• diet containing lots of LDL (bad) cholesterol results in arteries becoming blocked, increasing blood pressure
• smoking damages the walls of arteries
• exercises lowers blood pressure, reducing strain on the heart

Question 14

Casual mechanisms for risk factors for Type 2 diabetes:

Answer 14

• obesity affects the body’s metabolism - fat molecules are releases into the blood which can affect the cells uptake of sugar

Question 15

Casual mechanisms for risk factors for liver and brain function:

Answer 15

• alcohol causes fatty liver, which can lead to liver failure
• alcohol can damage nerve cells in the brain

Question 16

Casual mechanisms for risk factors for lung disease and lung cancer:

Answer 16

smoking damages the cells in the lining of the lungs

Question 17

Casual mechanisms for risk factors for pregnancy:

Answer 17

smoking and alcohol can cause many damaging effects on the unborn child

Question 18

Casual mechanisms for risk factors for cancer:

Answer 18

carcinogens such as ionising radiation can lead to mutations in cells which can lead to uncontrolled cells division of those cells causing cancer

Question 19

What is cardiovascular disease?

Answer 19

• Cardiovascular disease isthe disease of the heart or blood vessels
• Example of cardiovascular disease: Coronary heart disease – When layers of fatty material build up inside the coronary arteries, narrowing them. This reduces the flow of blood through the coronary arteries, resulting in a lack of oxygen for the heart muscle.

Question 20

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease:

Answer 20

• smoking
• obesity
• no exercise
• genes
• poor diet
• alcohol

Question 21

What is type 2 diabetes?

Answer 21

• In type 2 diabetesthe person’s body cells no longer responds to insulin produced by the pancreas - it is more common in older people
• It can be controlled by a carbohydrate controlled diet and an exercise regime
• Carbohydrate is digested into glucose, which raises the overall blood glucose level

Question 22

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes:

Answer 22

• smoking
• obesity
• no exercise
• genes
• poor diet
• alcohol

Question 23

What is lung disease?

Answer 23

• Lung disease refers todisorders that affect the lungs, the organs that allow us to breathe
• Breathing problems caused by lung disease may prevent the body from getting enough oxygen
• Examples of lung diseases are: asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema

Question 24

Risk factors for lung disease:

Answer 24

• smoking
• exposure to carcinogens
• genes

Question 25

What is cancer?

Answer 25

Cancer is the result of changes in cells that lead to uncontrolled growth and division

Question 26

Lifestyle risk factors for cancer:

Answer 26

• smoking (lung, mouth, bowel, stomach and cervical cancer)
• obesity (bowel, liver and kidney cancer)
• no exercise
• exposure to carcinogens
• UV light/radiation (skin cancer)
• poor diet
• viral infection (liver cancer from hepatitis B and C, cervical cancer from HPV)
• alcohol

Question 27

Genetic risk factors for cancer:

Answer 27

• you can inherit certain genes which increase the likelihood of getting cancer

Question 28

Risk factors for liver disease:

Answer 28

• smoking
• obesity
• no exercise
• exposure to carcinogens
• UV light/radiation
• genes
• poor diet
• alcohol

Question 29

What can risk factors linked to an increased rate of disease be?

Answer 29

• aspects of a person’s lifestyle
• substances in the person’s body or environment