Lecture 15. Non Communicable Disease Epidemiology

Question 1

What are noncommunicable diseases (NCD)?

Answer 1

Diseases of long duration and generally slow progression that are not passed from person to person (not contagious)

Question 2

How many deaths each year are caused by NCDs?

Answer 2

63% (36 million of 57 million)

Question 3

What are the three highest causes of deaths annually?

Answer 3

1. Heart disease
2. Stroke
3. Lower respiratory infections

Question 4

What is a risk factor?

Answer 4

A risk factor is an aspect of behaviour or lifestyle, environment or genetic profile that is associated with an increase in the occurrence a particular disease

Question 5

What can risk factors be categorised as?

Answer 5

Modifiable and non-modifiable

Question 6

What is a modifiable risk factor?

Answer 6

A factor that can be controlled or reduced, thus
reducing the probability of disease

Question 7

What are examples of modifiable risk factors?

Answer 7

Physical inactivity, tobacco use, alcohol use/abuse and unhealthy diet (obesity is caused by a mixture of these factors)

Question 8

What is a non-modifiable risk factor?

Answer 8

A risk factor that cannot be controlled

Question 9

What are examples of non-modifiable risk factors?

Answer 9

Age, sex, race, family history (genetics)

Question 10

What is epidemiology?

Answer 10

The study of disease in a population

Question 11

What can be estimated from an epidemiology study?

Answer 11

The prevalence of disease
The incidence of disease
Factors associated with disease
Factors likely to be casually associated with disease

Question 12

What is studied in descriptive epidemiology?

Answer 12

The pattern and frequency of health events in populations in terms of: person, place and time
With a purpose to identify problems for further study and to plan, provide and evaluate health services

Question 13

What is studied in analytic epidemiology?

Answer 13

Studies the association between risk factors and disease with a purpose to determine why disease rates are what
they are in a particular population or subset of a population

Question 14

What is diabetes?

Answer 14

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when
the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when
the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces

Question 15

What is insulin?

Answer 15

Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar

Question 16

What is hyperglycaemia?

Answer 16

Raised blood sugar
A common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body’s systems,
especially the nerves and blood vessels

Question 17

Why is diabetes an important public health condition?

Answer 17

The premature morbidity, mortality, reduced life
expectancy and financial and other costs

Question 18

What are complications caused by diabetes?

Answer 18

Cardiovascular disease
Kidney disease
Retinopathy
Neuropathy
Amputation
Sexual dysfunction
Complications in pregnancy
Dementia

Question 19

Globally, how many deaths per second are caused by diabetes and what percent of all global mortality in the 20-79 age group is caused by diabetes?

Answer 19

One death every 6 seconds
14.5%

Question 20

What results in type 2 diabetes?

Answer 20

The body’s ineffective use of insulin

Question 21

What percentage of people who have diabetes have type 2 diabetes?

Answer 21

> 85%

Question 22

What can cause type 2 diabetes?

Answer 22

Excess body weight and physical inactivity

Question 23

What is the estimated number of people in the UK that have diabetes?

Answer 23

4.5 million

Question 24

What is the estimated number of people in the UK that have diabetes but have not been diagnosed?

Answer 24

1.1 million

Question 25

What is the total cost (direct care and indirect costs) associated with diabetes in the UK currently?

Answer 25

£23.7 billion

Question 26

What is the total cost associated with diabetes expected to rise to in 2035?

Answer 26

£39.8 billion

Question 27

What is the global prevalence of diabetes?

Answer 27

8.5%

Question 28

What 5 countries have the highest prevalence of diabetes?

Answer 28

1. Tokelau (37.5%)
2. Micronesia (35%)
3. Marshall Islands (34.9%)
4. Kiribati (28.8%)
5. Cook Islands (25.7%)

Question 29

What regions have the highest diabetes prevalence?

Answer 29

Polynesia and the Middle East

Question 30

What are the rick factors of diabetes?

Answer 30

Obesity: accounts for 80 – 85% of the risk of
getting type 2 diabetes (particularly abdominal
fat)
Deprivation – often leads to obesity
Age
Genetic (type 1 diabetes) – risk is 15x higher (there is an increased risk for T2 also)
Ethnicity/race

Question 31

Which ethnic groups have about a three to five times greater prevalence of adult type 2 diabetes when compared with the white European population?

Answer 31

South Asian and African-Caribbean people