Environmental Basis of Disease Flashcards
What is epidemiology?
A basic science concerned with the patterns of disease frequency in human population and distribution by person, place or time
What does epidemiology assume?
- the disease doesn’t occur randomly
- the disease can be prevented from developing
- the disease has identifiable causes
What are the aims of epidemiological research?
- Describe the health status of a population
- Control disease distribution
- Explain the aetiology of a disease
- Predict the disease occurrence
Epidemiology triable
Host (intrinsic factors) – Environment (extrinsic factors) –Agent
Association vs Causation
things can be associated such as gambling, smoking and lung cancer. -but doesn’t mean if you gamble you will definitely have lung cancer
Smoking death stats
320 deaths/day in UK
4 million deaths/year worldwide
Major health consequence of smoking
- Cancer (lung, mouth, oesophagus, larynx etc.)
- Respiratory diseases (e.g. COPD)
- Vascular diseases (CHD, stroke etc.)
- Pregnancy and birth complications
What is pulmonary emphysema?
When the neutrophils secrete elastase which breaks down the elastin in the walls of the alveoli making them less elastic –> alveoli more likely to burst –> decreases number of alveoli –> decreases SA for gas exchange
2 types of responses
allergic or pneumoconiosis
Types of allergic responses
rhinitis
asthma
What is pneumoconiosis?
An occupational and restrictive lung disease caused by dust inhalation
What types of reaction may occur in pneumoconiosis?
- inert (coal miner’s)
- fibrous (asbestosis)
- allergic (extrinsic allergy alveolitis)
- neoplastic (lung carcinoma)
What disease can asbestos cause?
Asbestosis, cancer (stomach, lung, colon, rectum), mesothelioma
What is asbestos?
A fibre coated in iron and calcium (ferruginous body)
How does asbestos affect the body?
After inhalation, macrophages ingest this fibre which triggers a fibrogenic response via the release of growth factors –> promote collagen deposition by fibroblast
