B7 Non-communicable Disease Flashcards
What is a non-communicable disease
A disease that cannot get passed from one individual to another
Non-communicable diseases (3)
Coronary heart disease
Diabetes
Cancer
Risk factors for disease
-there are many risk factors for disease, including the genes you inherit from your parents and your age which you cannot inherit.
-Risk factors are aspect’s of a person lifestyle, or can be present in the environment (e.g pollution) pr substances in your body (e.g asbestos fibres)
Examples of factors that cause disease
-smoking has been proven to directly cause cardiovascular disease,lung disease and lung cancer. It damages the walls of arteries and the cells in the lining of lungs
- Obesity can cause directly type 2 diabetes by making the body less sensitive or resistant to insulin,meaning that it struggles the control the concentration of glucose in the blood
- Drinking too much alcohol has been show to cause liver disease. The liver breaks down alcohol, but the reaction can damage its cells. Liver cells may also be damaged when toxic chemicals leak from the gut due to damage to the intestines caused by alcohol. Too much alcohol can affect brain function too. Ot can damage nerve cells in brain, causing the brain to lose volume.
- Smoking when pregnant reduces the amount of oxygen the baby receives in womb and can cause lots of health problems for the unborn baby. Drinking alcohol has similar affects. Alcohol can damage the baby’s cells,affecting its development and causing a wide range of health issues
-cancer can be directly caused by exposure to certain substances or radiation. Things that cause cancer are known as carcinogens. Carcinogens damage a cell’s DNA in a way that makes the cell more likely to divide uncontrollably. Ionising radiation is an example of a carcinogen
Casual mechanisms
-it is useful to find correlations between lifestyle factors and particular disease. Doctors and scientists need to do lots of research to discover if there is a causal mechanism.
- A causal mechanism explains how one factor influences another through a biological process. E.g there is a clear causal link between smoking tobacco and lung cancer.
The cost of non-communicable disease
Human cost- Tens of millions of people around the world die from non-communicable diseases per year. People with these diseases have a lower quality of life or rather a shorter lifespan which affects themselves and loved ones.
Financial cost- Cost to the NHS of researching and treating these diseases is huge-and its the same for other health services and organisations around the world. Families may have too move or adapt their home to help a family member with a disease,which can be costly. If family member with disease has to give up work or dies, family’s income will be reduced.
Nixtoine and carbon monoxide
Nicotine- an addictive but relatively harmless drug found in tobacco smoke. Produces sensation of calm,well-being.
Carbon monoxide- a poisonous gas found in tobacco smoke and it takes up some of oxygen-carrying capacity of your blood. Can lead to a shortage of oxygen, which is why smokers become breathless when exercise.
Smoking during pregnancy
During pregnancy a woman is carrying oxygen of her developing fetus as well as herself. If mother blood is carrying carbon monoxide, the fetus may not get enough oxygen to grow properly which can lead to premature births,low birthweight and stillbirth
Carcinogens
- cilia in trachea and bronchi that move mucus,bacteria and dirt away from lungs are anaesthetised by some of the chemicals in tobacco smoke. They stop working for time, allowing dirt and pathogens down into lungs and increasing risk of infections. Mucus also builds up and causes coughing.
Tar is a sticky,black chemical that accumulates in the lungs, turning them from pink to grey. Tar can cause bronchitis (inflammation and infection of bronchi) . Tar is a carcinogen which can cause lung cancer and also throat,larynx and trachea
Emphysema- damage to the alveoli walls, leading to fewer larger alveoli,instead of many smaller ones. This reduces the surface area available for gas exchange
Smoking and the heart
Smokers are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease than non-smokers. Smoking narrows the blood vessels in your skin,ageing it. Nicotine makes heart rate increase whilst other chemicals damage the lining of arteries.
This can causes coronary heart disease to develop and increases risk of clot formation and can also lead to increase in blood pressure
Diet,exercise and obesity
Over time regularly eating too much food will make you overweight then obese. Carrying too much weight is often inconvenient and uncomfortable. Far worse obesity can lead to serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes,high blood pressure and heart disease
Exercise and health
People who exercise regularly are less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than people who do not exercise. They are less likely to suffer from many other health problems such as type 2 diabetes.
Exercise will cause more muscle tissue increasing rate,so less likely to be overweight. Which reduces of developing arthritis, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
- you will have fitter and develop a better blood supply. Regular exercise lowers blood cholesterol levels and help the balance of the different types of cholesterol which reduces your risk of fatty deposits building up on your coronary heart disease which lowers risk of heart disease and other problems.
Obesity and other type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes can lead to problems with circulation, kidney function and eyesight which may lead to death. Being overweight or obese and doing much exercise are risk factors for type 2 diabetes at any age. Type 2 diabetes can be controlled by balanced diet with controlled amounts of losing weight, and doing regular exercise
Brain and liver damage
- developed cirrhosis of the liver, a disease that destroys the liver tissue. The active liver cells are replaces with scar tissue that cannot carry out vital function
- Alcohol is a carcinogen so heavy drinkers are at increased risk of developing liver cancer. Spreads rapidly and difficult to treat.
- Long-term heavy alcohol use also causes damage to brain. In some alcoholics the brain becomes soft and pulpy that the normal brain structures are lots can no longer can function properly which can cause death
Alcohol and pregnancy
- alcohol the placenta into developing baby. Miss carriage,still births,premature births and low birthweight are all risk linked to alcohol during pregnancy. The developing liver cannot cope with alcohol, so development of brain and body of unborn baby can be badly affected.
-Baby may have facial deformities,teeth problems, jaw or hearing, liver and heart problems.
Tumours
Cancer is caused by uncontrollable cell growth and division. This uncontrolled growth and division is a result of changes that occur to the cells and results in the formation of a tumour (a growth of abnormal cells). Tumours can be benign or malignant
Benign and belignant tumours
Benign- growth of abnormal cells contained in one place, usually within a membrane. This is where the tumour grows until there’s no more room. The tumour stays in one place rather than invading other tissues in the body. This type is not normally dangerous and not cancerous.
Malignant- where the tumour grows and spreads to neighbouring healthy tissues. Cells can break off and spread to others parts of the body by travelling in the bloodstream. The malignant cells then invade healthy tissues elsewhere in the body and form secondary tumours. Malignant tumours are dangerous and fatal
Causes of cancer
- clear genetic risk factors from some cancers including early breast cancer and ovarian cancer
- most cancers are results from mutations-changes in genetic material. Chemicals such as asbestos and tar are found in tobacco smoke can cause mutations that trigger formations of tumours. Known as carcinogens
-ionising radiation (uv light and x-rays) can interrupt normal cell cycle and cause tumours to form.
-viral infections
Treating cancer
radiotherapy-when cancer cells are destroyed by targeted doses of radiation. This stops mitosis in the cancer cells but can also damage healthy cells. Methods of delivering different types of radiation in very targeted ways are improving cure rates.
Chemotherapy- where chemicals are used to either stop the cancer cells dividing or to make them ‘self-destruct’.
