Lecture 3: Lifestyle and respiratory disease

Question 1

How many viruses cause the common cold?

Answer 1

> 200

Question 2

What % of colds are caused by rhinovirus?

Answer 2

30-50%

Question 3

How many colds do children get a year?

Answer 3

7-10

Question 4

How many colds do adults get a year?

Answer 4

2-5

Question 5

How many people who are exposed to a cold virus will develop a cold?

Answer 5

1 in 3

Question 6

What could be the explanation for a link between being cold and getting a cold?

Answer 6

Acute cooling of the body surface causes reflex vasoconstriction in nose and upper airways which inhibits respiratory defence

Onset of common cold symptoms caused by conversion of asymptomatic subclinical infection into a symptomatic infection

Question 7

How much is a megadose of vitamin C?

Answer 7

> 200mg

Question 8

How much is the RDI of vitamin C?

Answer 8

40mg

Question 9

What is the relationship between vitamin C prophylaxis and cold incidence?

Answer 9

No significant reduction in average people but significant reduction in those in extreme environments (marathon runners, skiers, arctic soldiers)

Question 10

What is the relationship between vitamin C prophylaxis and cold duration?

Answer 10

Significant reduction in both adults and children

Question 11

What is the relationship between vitamin C therapy and cold duration?

Answer 11

No significant effect

Question 12

What is the relationship between echinacea prophylaxis and cold incidence?

Answer 12

No individual trials revealed significant effect

Pooled results released 10-20% reduction in risk

Question 13

What is the relationship between echinacea prophylaxis and cold duration?

Answer 13

No significant effect

Question 14

What is the relationship between stress and risk of getting a cold?

Answer 14

Chronic stress increases the risk of common cold

Developing a cold not predicted by acute stress (<1 mo) but is predicted by chronic stress (>1 mo)

Question 15

What 4 factors are related to risk of developing a cold?

Answer 15

Smoking
Lack of exercise
Poor sleep efficacy
Drinking more alcohol

Question 16

What is the link between sociability and developing colds?

Answer 16

Lower the sociability the higher the risk

Question 17

What is the link between SES and developing colds?

Answer 17

Increased subjective SES associated with decreased risk of colds

Association was independent of objective SES

Poorer sleep and health behaviours among lower SES may mediate association between subjective SES and colds

Question 18

What is the impact of hand washing on risk of colds?

Answer 18

Risk reduction ranged from 6% to 44%

Pooled results indicate hand washing can cut risk of respiratory infection by 16%

Psychosocial interventions to promote hand washing can reduce respiratory disease

Question 19

What were the outcomes of the students in halls of residence study?

Answer 19

Alcohol gel dispensers installed in rooms, bathrooms, dining hall

Significant increase in hand-hygiene behaviour

Significant reduction in symptoms, illness rates, absenteeism

Question 20

What % of 12-14 year olds in Britain are diagnosed with asthma, current users of inhalers, and have 4+ attacks of wheezing?

Answer 20

21% ever diagnosed with asthma

16% current users of inhalers

10% 4+ attacks of wheezing

Question 21

How many people worldwide experience asthma?

Answer 21

300 million

Question 22

What is the effect of anxiety disorders on asthma symptoms?

Answer 22

Symptoms are exacerbated by anxiety

Moderate-severe asthma symptoms rose from 14-24% following 9/11

Exposure to inter-personal conflict exacerbates asthma symptoms in children and adolescents

Question 23

Is the likelihood of hospitalisation and duration fo stay better predicted by psychological factors or objective symptoms in asthma?

Answer 23

Psychological factors

Question 24

What % of males and female deaths are caused by cancer of lung and throat?

Answer 24

7% male

5% female

Question 25

What % of men and women smoke?

Answer 25

10% men

14% women

Question 26

What are current smoking cessation methods?

Answer 26

Nicotine replacement

Buproprion (zyban)

Smoking cessation groups

Education (e.g. quit line)

Buddy systems

Hypnotherapy

Self-help / bibliotherapy

Question 27

How effective are the NHS smoking cessation programs?

Answer 27

Effective for supporting smokers to quit in the short- and longer-term

Group interventions appear to be more effective than one-to-one interventions within NHS services

‘Buddy’ systems may increase effectiveness of one-to-one interventions

Intensity of intervention appears to be integral to efficacy

Question 28

What is likely to be the most effective way to quit smoking?

Answer 28

Combining behaviour therapy and nicotine replacement