7.1 Non-communicable Diseases

Question 1

What kills more people: non-communicable or communicable diseases?

Answer 1

Non-communicable

Question 2

What are risk factors for disease?

Answer 2

• genes you inherit
• age
• aspects of lifestyle: diet, obesity fitness levels, smoking, drinking alcohol
• substances present in the environment or in your body such as ionising ration, UV light from the sun, second-hand tobacco smoke, exposure to carcinogens

Question 3

Carcinogens def

Answer 3

Agents that cause cancer or significantly increase the risk of developing it

Question 4

Ionising radiation def

Answer 4

Has enough energy to cause ionisation in materials in passes through, which in turn can make them biologically active and may result in mutations and cancer

Question 5

Correlation def

Answer 5

An association or relationship between variables

Question 6

Casual mechanism def

Answer 6

When one variable has an influence or is influenced by another

Question 7

If a causal mechanism can be demonstrated, what is there between the two variables

Answer 7

A causal link

Question 8

Difference between correlation and causation

Answer 8

A correlation does not imply a causative relationship

Question 9

Example of a causal link

Answer 9

• The effects of diet, smoking and exercise on cardiovascular disease
• Obesity as a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes
• The effect of alcohol on the liver and brain function
• The effect of smoking on lung disease and lung cancer
• The effects of smoking and alcohol on unborn babies
• Carcinogens, including ionising radiation, as risk factors in cancer

Question 10

What is the impact of non-communicable diseases on individuals and family

Answer 10

• it has a huge impact on the individual affected and their family
• it will have a financial cost if a wage-earner becomes ill and cannot work
• local communities bear the cost: formally through taxes or informally by taking care of affected families

Question 11

What is the impact of non-communicable diseases for nations and globally

Answer 11

• diseases cost nations huge sums of money: they have to pay to treat ill people and there is a loss of money earned when large numbers of people ill
• global economy suffers when the disease affects younger, working age people
• non-communicable diseases affect more people than communicable, so they have the greatest effect