excess morality lecture 4- risk factors (biological) Flashcards
what is a risk factor?
A risk factor is any characteristic, condition, or behaviour that increases the likelihood of developing a disease or health problem.
Risk factors can be modifiable (things you can change) or non-modifiable (things you cannot change).
what are types of modifiable risk factors?
-diet
-physical activity levels
-smoking
-alcohol consumption
-body weight
-blood pressure
-blood sugar levels etc
what happens if you have more risk factors?
The more risk factors you have, the higher your likelihood of developing chronic diseases.
Modifiable risk factors could have an additive adverse effect on our health
what are examples of non-modifiable risk factors?
-age
-genetics
-gender
-ethnicity etc
how is age a biological risk factor?
-We all grow older, but we don’t all age at the same rate.
what are blue zones?
-regions known for high life expectancy and concentrations of centenarians
-Plant-based diet: Blue Zones predominantly follow a plant-based diet, with vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains making up the majority of their meals. Meat is eaten sparingly, typically only a few times a month.
such as Italy due to them eating more veg, dairy and while grains
and Japan where the main diet is sweet potatoes and rice
how is aging in the uk changing?
-nearly 1 in 4 people in the uk will be aged over 65
-85% deaths in the uk caused by age related diseases
what are the effects of aging in the population?
-the risk of dying in a given year doubles every 8 years
-The global population aged 65 and older is expected to increase from approximately 524 million in 2010 to nearly 1.5 billion by 2050.
-850,000 people living with dementia in the uk
-by 2025 over 1 million people in the uk could have it then the will exceed to 2 million in 2050
how does our genes affect aging?
-A printed version of your entiregenetic code wouldrequire 262,000 A4 pages just about500 would beunique to us
what is the FTO gene?
-the fat mass gene
-FTO genotype is associated to a higher body weight
-People with the obesity-risk FTO variant have higher circulating levels of the ‘hunger hormone’, ghrelin, in their blood. This means they start to feel hungry again soon after eating a meal.
-People with the obesity-risk variant of the FTO gene eat more and prefer higher calorie foods compared with those with the low-risk version.
how does the FTO gene affect energy intake?
-FTO carriers eat 118 kcal more than non-carriers per day.
-118 * 365 days = 43,073 kcal extra in a year.
how does sex affect risk factors?
-Worldwide, women live an average 5 years longer than men.
-males are more likely to get a myocardial infarction than females. 2.3 million people are living with Heart diseases in the UK – 1.4 million men, 850,000 women
-there is a different fat and muscle distribution in males and females
how is family history a biological risk factor?
You are considered to have a family history ofcardiovascular diseaseif:
-your father or brother was under the age of 55 when they were diagnosed withcardiovascular diseaseor
-your mother or sister was under the age of 65 when they were diagnosed withcardiovascular disease.
-Family history of diabetes and obesity increases the risk of developing diabetes
how is ethnicity a biological risk factor
-Certain ethnic groups tend to store fat in different areas of the body
-south asians have a higher prevalence of diabetes and a higher CVD risk than uk whites
-Certain ethnic groups may develop diabetes up to 10 years earlier, even with similar Body Mass Index (BMI) levels
how is BMI not useful?
BMI is an inexpensive and easy measurement, but it doesn’t indicate where fat is stored in the body
