Environmental and Nutritional Disorders Flashcards
Global disease burden (GDB)
Estimates the burden imposed by environmental diseases, including those caused by communicable and nutritional diseases.
Disability adjusted life year (DALY)
Sum of years of life lost due to premature mortality and disability in a population.
What are some major diseases that affected GDB from 1990-2010? (5)
HIV/AIDS Undernutrition Ischemic heart disease and cerebral vascular disease Infectious disease Post-natal diseases
Categories of emerging infectious diseases:
- Newly evolved strains/organisms
- Pathogens endemic to other organisms that now affect humans
- Pathogens that have previously been present in humans, but show an increase in incidence
- Newly evolved strains/organisms: multidrug resistant TB
- Pathogens endemic to other organisms that now affect humans: HIV
- Pathogens that have previously been present in humans, but show an increase in incidence: dengue fever, due to warming and spread into southern US.
Which diseases/conditions have been negatively impacted by climate change?
CV disease, cerebrovascular disease, respiratory diseases - worsened by heatwaves and air pollution.
Gastroenteritis, cholera, foodborne and waterborne infectious diseases - contamination from floods and changes in clean water supply.
Vector-borne diseases - malaria, dengue fever - due to increased temp., crop failures, and extreme weather variations.
Malnutrition - disrupted crop production.
Most solvents and drugs are:
How is that clinically important?
Lipophilic.
They can cross membranes.
What are the 3 phase I reactions?
Hydrolysis
Reduction
Oxidation
What are the 4 phase II reactions?
Glucoronidation
Sulfation
Methylation
Conjugation
Where are cytochrome p450s located?
ER of liver, but also skin, lungs, GI mucosa and others.
Cytochrome p450 reactions can either:
Detoxify xenobiotics orless commonly convert them into active compounds that cause cell injury
What is the effect of fasting and starvation on CYP activity?
Decreases CYP activity
Air pollution is especially hazardous to which patients? (2)
Patients w/ pre-existing pulmonary or cardiac diseases.
What does the EPA limit in outdoor air pollution? (6)
SO2 CO O3 NO2 Lead Particulate matter
Effects of ozone on:
Healthy adults and children: (3)
Athletes, outdoor workers, asthmatics: (2)
Healthy adults and children: decreased lung function, increased airway reactivity, lung inflammation.
Athletes, outdoor workers, asthmatics: decreased exercise capacity, increased hospitalizations.
Effects of SO2 on:
Healthy adults: (1)
People with chronic lung disease: (1)
Asthmatics: (2)
Healthy adults: respiratory symptoms.
People with chronic lung disease: increased mortality.
Asthmatics: increased hospitalizations, decreased lung function.
Ozone toxicity is due to:
What do they damage?
Free radicals.
Respiratory tract epithelial cells and type I alveolar cells and release inflammatory mediators.
What is “witches’ brew”?
What produces it?
What symptoms ensue?
SO2 + O3 + particulate matter.
Power plants burning fossil fuels, copper smelting and byproduct of papermills.
Burning sensations in nose and throat, trouble breathing and asthma attacks.
Particulate matter (soot) has what effects? (2)
What size particulate is most harmful?
Pulm inflammation, secondary CV effects.
Fine or ultrafine particles less than 10 um in diameter.
CO toxicity can occur in which 2 scenarios?
Chronically working in tunnels, garages, highway toll booths with lots of exposure to car fumes.
Acutely by being trapped in a garage within approx 5 min.
What does CO do physiologically?
What are its effects with longer survival?
What are the symptoms if the patient recovers?
What is a hallmark sign of CO poisoning?
Inducing CNS depression leading to ischemic changes to basal ganglia and lenticular nuclei. Also, outcompetes Hb for O2
Longer survival in the brain may be slightly edematous w/ punctate hemorrhages and hypoxia-induced neuronal changes.
Memory, vision, hearing and speech problems.
Generalized cherry-red color of skin and mucous membranes.
Systemic hypoxia shows how much saturation of Hb with CO?
How much saturation is associated with death and unconsciousness?
20-30%.
60-70%
Wood smoke produces ______ which are carcinogenic.
Polycyclic hydrocarbons
Bioaerosols examples: (3)
Diseases caused by bioaerosols? (2)
Pet dander, fungi, mold.
Legionnaires disease, viral pneumonia.
Formaldehyde is a carcinogen. Where does it come from? (2)
Building materials
Poorly ventilated trailers following disasters
What causes sick building syndrome?
Indoor pollutants, poor ventilation.
Lead as a pollutant
It is readily absorbed and binds to sulfhydryl groups in proteins that interfere with Ca++ metabolism, effects that lead to hematologic, skeletal, neurological, GI and renal toxicities.
Where can lead be found?
Paint
Soil
Occupational exposure: batteries, pigments, radiators and tin cans.
Where does most of the absorbed lead get incorporated?
Bone and developing teeth
Low level Pb can have what effects in kids?
Intellectual, behavioral, hyperactivity and poor organizational skills in kids.
What does Pb do the baby while mom’s pregnant?
Impairs brain development.
CNS disturbances from lead poisoning in adults include:
Peripheral neuropathies leading to wrist drop, followed by foot drop.
What are lead lines?
Radiodense deposits on metaphyses which interfere with cartilage remodeling.
Lead “colic”
Severe, poorly organized abdominal pain
What effects can Pb have on the kidneys?
Proximal tubule damage; chronic damage -> interstitial fibrosis and possible renal failure.
Ringed sideroblast
Associated w/ siderblastic anemia, due to excess iron in mitochondria.
Mercury’s toxicity
Main 2 sources:
What is Minamata disease?
Binds sulfhydryl groups and damages CNA (developing brain) and kidneys.
Contaminated fish, mercury vapors from dental amalgams.
Includes cerebral palsy, deafness, blindness, MR and major CNS defects in children exposed in utero.
Arsenic toxicity
Where is it found?
Interferes with cellular metabolism -> toxicities most common in GI tract, nervous system, skin and heart (Borgia and Medici poisonings).
Soil and water naturally. Wood preservatives, herbacides, herbal meds.
What happens when large quantities of arsenic are ingested?
2-8 wks post exposure?
GI, CV and CNS toxicities.
Sensorimotor neuropathy; paresthesias, numbness, pain.
What chronic skin changes occur in arsenic poisoning?
Hyperpigmentation and hyperkeratosis
Which cancers are at a higher risk for people with arsenic poisoning?
Lung, bladder and skin (palms and soles)