B7-Non Communicable Diseases Flashcards
Risk factors
things that are linked to an increased risk of disease. For example, aspects of someone’s lifestyle or substance in the person’s body or environment.
Correlation
A correlation is a link between two things, but it doesn’t prove that one thing causes another.
Casual mechanism
explains how one factor influences another through a biological process e.g. there is a clear casual link between smoking tobacco and lung cancer as it increases the risk.
Tumour
is a mass of abnormally growing cells that forms when the cells do not respond to the normal mechanisms that control growth and when control of the cell cycle is lost.
Benign tumours
cells are contained in one place usually membrane, they grow very large and quickly and can be life threatening through this pressure and damage especially in a brain because there is no extra space for them to grow
Malign tumours
spread around the body and can form secondary tumours on different organs. It also divides quicker and lives longer than normal cells, it can be very difficult to treat and will often kill the person if left untreated
Chemotherapy
is when chemicals are used to either stop the cancer cells dividing or to make them self destruct, scientists are still working on making the drugs used to treat cancers to become as specific to cancer cells as possible. As they affect all cells including the healthy cells which are damaged the same.
Radiotherapy
where targeted doses of radiation are improving cancer rates by destroying cancer cells. This stops mitosis in the cancer cells but can damage the healthy cells too.
Nicotine
Nicotine is the addictive drug found in tobacco that produces a sensation of calm and well being
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas found in tobacco smoke that takes up some of the oxygen carrying capacity of blood. The cilia stop working for a time allowing dirt and pathogens down into the lungs increasing the risk of infection and mucus builds over time causing coughing for smokers
Tar
is also a carcinogen greatly increasing the risk of lung cancer developing and other cancers. It also reduces surface area to volume ratio of the lungs leading to severe breathlessness and eventually death.
Dangers of smoking during pregnancy
Oxygen shortage is a problem in pregnant smokers as if the mothers blood is carrying carbon monoxide the fetus may not get enough oxygen to grow properly. This can lead to premature births, low birthweight and stillbirths.
Smoking and cardiovascular diseases
Smoking narrows the blood vessels in your skin. Nicotine makes the heart rate increase and other chemicals damage the lining of the arteries. The mixture of chemicals also lead to an increase in blood pressure. This combination of effects increase the risk of suffering cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes.
Diet
if you eat more food than you need the excess is stored as fat regularly doing this will make you overweight and then obese.
Exercise
The amount of exercise you do affects the amount of respiration in your muscles and the amount of food you need. People who exercise are usually fitter, have bigger muscles, have fitter hearts and bigger lungs. They are less likely to develop cardiovascular diseases and many other health problems like type 2 diabetes. As more muscles tissue= increases metabolic rate and less likely to be overweight, developing arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure. Also regular exercise lowers blood cholesterol levels and reduces risk of fatty deposits building up on your coronary arteries.
