B6.3 (1) - Non-communicable Diseases

Question 1

What does smoking contain

Answer 1

Tar - cools and collects in lungs which is carcinogenic (causes cancer). This is where your cells divide and grow uncontrollably due to changed cells and DNA
Nicotine - addictive drug affects nervous system causing heart beat faster and narrow blood vessels increasing BP
CO - poisonous gas attaches to haemoglobin in blood cells, which carries less oxygen. The heart has to work faster and so increases heart disease
Particulates - small pieces of solid are engulfed by WBC. Enzyme is released which weakens walks of alveoli and do not inflate properly when breathing. Gas exchange is less effective and less oxygen leaving them breathless - emphysema
Other substances - paralyse the ciliated cells lining the airways causing mucus to flow into lungs. Causes infections such as bronchitis and cases ‘smokers cough’ that damage lungs

Question 2

What is alcohol + do to body

Answer 2

• contains ethanol that affects nervous system as it is a depressant: slows down body reactions
• causes mood swings
• blurred vision, loss of balance, increased reaction time
• ethanol is also toxic: usually should be removed from body by liver but increased amounts causes liver to become scarred
• healthy cells are replaced with fat and fibrous tissue and becomes less effective
• which is liver cirrhosis and is fatal

Question 3

What else does heavy drinking cause

Answer 3

• Stomach ulcers
• heart disease
• brain damage

Question 4

What is cardiovascular disease (CVD)

Answer 4

Term that describes disease of heart and blood vessels around it

• atherosclerosis - hardening and narrowing of blood vessels due to build up of fatty deposit in arteries
• thrombosis - blood clotting

Question 5

If thrombosis in artery supplying brain

Answer 5

Causes stroke

Question 6

If thrombosis in artery near heart muscle

Answer 6

Causes heart attack

Question 7

What factors increase risk of CVD

Answer 7

• poor diet which is full of salts and saturated fat
• too little exercise
• smoke (co increases bp)
• having high bp which damage blood vessels

Question 8

How does diet increase risk of CVD

Answer 8

• saturated fat - causes cholesterol to be deposited in artery walls which narrow the vessels, restricting flow and increases bp
• salts - makes more water being absorbed into the blood (through ADH) where extra water causes high bp

Question 9

How does exercise reduce risk of CVD

Answer 9

• body mass will be lower: energy will be transferred as heat to surroundings (as sweat and radiation) so less food energy will be stored as fat
• joints are healthier and risk of arthritis decreases
• more muscle tissue leading to stronger heart
• cholesterol is lower

Question 10

Lifestyle changes to decrease CVD

Answer 10

• eating less processed food lowering diabetes (2) and CVD
• exercising regularly
• reducing alcohol consumption
• stop smoking

Question 11

Statins

Answer 11

Reduce blood cholesterol by preventing formation of it: liver removes more through blood
-upset stomach

Question 12

Anti platelets

Answer 12

Reduce heart attack by reducing stickiness of blood and causing less clotting
- internal bleeding

Question 13

Beta blockers

Answer 13

Reduces high bp by blocking effects of adrenaline. Slowing heartbeat and improves blood flow
- dizziness and tiredness

Question 14

Nitrates

Answer 14

Widen blood vessels by relaxing the walls, allowing more blood to flow at lower pressure
- headaches and tiredness

Question 15

How is cvd reduced surgically

Answer 15

• replacing valves as it creates back flow. This leads to heart failure as not enough oxygenated blood reaches the heart muscle
• widening partially blocked arteries using a stent and balloon that expands to fill space known as angioplasty
• bypassing blocked coronary arteries taking blood vessels from different parts of the body

Question 16

What is an organ transplant

Answer 16

Where damaged organs are replaced with donated

Question 17

How to reduce rejection of donors

Answer 17

• tissues are matched with similar tissue types and should be from same blood group
• immunosuppressants given which reduce effect on body’s immune system

Question 18

Why are embryonic stem cells used

Answer 18

These are undifferentiated cells that are able to divide and become differentiated into any cell to carry out specific job

Question 19

How do em cells treat medical conditions

Answer 19

• test drugs for safety before testing on animals and plants (preclinical)
• manufacture new brain cells for Parkinson disease
• rebuilding bone and cartilage for arthritis
• making replacement heart valves

Question 20

Danger of em cells for medical treatment

Answer 20

• long term side effects
• increased risk of cancer
• possible rejection of material from body

Question 21

What is gene therapy

Answer 21

Placement of fully functioning allele into cell containing a faulty allele for same gene

Question 22

Why is cystic fibrosis caused

Answer 22

Due to faulty copy of gene CFTR
which codes for a protein that ensures a sticky mucus doesn’t build up in lungs

Question 23

How to do gene therapy

Answer 23

1. Cut out normal version of gene of DNA of healthy person using restriction enzyme
2. Replicate and produce many copies of it
3. Insert healthy into one with genetic disorder through a virus and replicates in every cell

Question 24

Why is gene therapy difficult

Answer 24

• Healthy allele may not go into every target cell
• may join in random places and therefore do not work properly
• treatment may be short lived and naturally replaced by own healthy cells

Question 25

Future advancements in gene therapy

Answer 25

• locating genes linked with inherited diseases and allowing them to identify and preventative steps to be made
• developing drugs that directly target disease-causing genes or proteins they code for
• new gene therapy for diseases that currently have no cure
• personalised medicine with a knowledge of molecular makeup allows to prescribe which is best suited to individual ( and so have a higher success rate with less side effects)

Question 26

What is genetic screening

Answer 26

Testing people or groups of people for a specific allele or gene abnormality