Non-communicable disease

Question 1

Give some examples of non-communicable diseases

Answer 1

● Cancer
● Diabetes
● Cardiovascular diseases
● Chronic respiratory diseases e.g. asthma

Question 2

What is a risk factor?

Answer 2

Avariable associated with a greater
chance of developing a disease or
infection

Question 3

Outline the factors that can affect the risk of

developing a non-communicable disease

Answer 3

● Lifestyle factors e.g. diet, exercise, alcohol, smoking
● Environmental factors e.g. exposure to pollution
● Genetics e.g. alleles that increase the risk of cancer

Question 4

“Correlation does not mean causation.”

Explain this statement.

Answer 4

Correlation between a risk factor and a
disease does not mean that the risk factor
causes the disease. Other factors may be
involved and some may be linked.

Question 5

Describe how exercise affects the risk of some

non-communicable diseases

Answer 5

● Regular exercise decreases fat stores, reducing
obesity (a risk factor of CVD and type 2
diabetes)
● It decreases heart rate, recovery time and blood
pressure, lowering the risk of CVD

Question 6

Describe how diet affects the risk of some

non-communicable diseases

Answer 6

● Diet high in saturated fat raises blood cholesterol levels, increasing
the deposition of fatty deposits in the arteries ∴ greater risk of CVD
● Obesity and the consumption of large amounts of simple-sugars
increases the risk of type 2 diabetes
● Malnourishment increases the risk of deficiency diseases

Question 7

Give an example of a deficiency disease

Answer 7

● Scurvy (vitamin C deficiency)

● Anaemia (iron deficiency)

Question 8

What is the Body Mass Index (BMI)?

Answer 8

A value based on height and mass used to
categorise an individual as underweight, normal
weight, overweight or obese.

Question 9

How is BMI calculated?

Answer 9

BMI = mass (kg)/ height^2 (m)

Question 10

Why isn’t BMI always an accurate measure of

obesity?

Answer 10

Fat and muscle tissue cannot be
distinguished so athletes may be
incorrectly categorised as obese.

Question 11

How is an individual’s waist-to-hip ratio calculated?

Answer 11

waist-to-hip ratio = waist circumference (cm) / hip circumference (cm)

Question 12

What does a waist-to-hip ratio higher than 1.0 in

males or 0.85 in females indicate?

Answer 12

● Abdominal obesity

● Increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes

Question 13

Describe how alcohol affects the risk of some

non-communicable diseases

Answer 13

● Alcohol broken down into toxic products in the liver which
build-up and cause cirrhosis (scarring of liver tissue)
● Alcohol raises blood pressure thus increasing the risk of CVD
● Toxic products in alcohol can cause mutations to DNA,
increasing the risk of cancer (mouth, throat, liver etc.)

Question 14

Describe how smoking affects the risk of

some non-communicable diseases

Answer 14

● Nicotine raises heart rate, increasing the risk of CVD
● Carbon monoxide lowers the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen,
heart rate increases, increasing the risk of CVD
● Carcinogens in tar can cause mutations to DNA, increasing the risk of
cancer (mouth, throat, lung etc.)
● Smoking increases the risk of lung diseases e.g. chronic bronchitis

Question 15

How do environmental factors affect the
risk of some non-communicable
diseases?

Answer 15

● Long-term exposure to pollution damages the airways,
increasing the risk of lung diseases and lung cancer
● Exposure to UV radiation damages DNA, increasing the
risk of DNA mutations and skin cancer

Question 16

How do genetics affect the risk of some

non-communicable diseases?

Answer 16

The risks of some diseases such as type 2 diabetes,
lung cancer and CVD are increased if a family member
has had these conditions.
Faulty genes can be inherited which increase the risk of
conditions such as breast cancer.

Question 17

How do diseases interact with each other?

Answer 17

● Some diseases may cause other infections to develop e.g.
HIV weakens the immune system, making an individual
more susceptible to other infections such as TB.
● Some diseases reduce the risk of contracting other
infections e.g. Trichinosis reduces the development of
Crohn’s disease

Question 18

Describe the effects of non-communicable disease

on a local, national and global level

Answer 18

● Increased incidence of non-communicable disease puts a strain on
local hospitals which have limited resources
● Increased pressure on NHS to provide treatment to a larger number of
patients. Sickness-related absence impacts a country’s economy
● High prevalence of malnutrition in LEDCs slows the development of
such countries which in turn impacts global development

Question 19

What is cardiovascular disease (CVD)?

Answer 19

● Group of diseases affecting the heart or blood vessels
● Build up of fatty deposits on the walls of the arteries forms
atheromas which reduce blood flow to muscle tissue
● Blood clots may form, blocking the arteries and stopping blood
flow completely. This can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Question 20

How can CVD lead to a heart attack?

Answer 20

● Obstruction of a coronary artery (supplies heart muscle)
due to an atheroma or blood clot
● Results in loss of blood supply to an area of heart muscle
● This causes death of the cells and leads to a heart attack

Question 21

How can CVD be treated? (3)

Answer 21

● Improving diet and lifestyle
● Medication
● Surgery

Question 22

What changes to diet and lifestyle can be made to

reduce the risk of CVD?

Answer 22

● Regular exercise
● Reduce intake of saturated fat
● Maintenance of a healthy weight
● Diet low in salt
● Reduce stress
● Stop smoking and drinking alcohol

Question 23

How effective are changes to lifestyle

and diet in treating CVD?

Answer 23

Although not themselves effective in the
treatment of CVD, they can enhance the
efficiency of other methods of treatment.

Question 24

Which medicines are used to treat CVD? (3)

Answer 24

● Statins
● Anticoagulants
● Antihypertensives

Question 25

Outline the benefits vs the risks of using

statins to treat CVD

Answer 25

● Statins lower the level of cholesterol in the blood
● However, they can cause liver damage, kidney
failure or problems with memory

Question 26

Outline the benefits vs the risks of using

anticoagulants to treat CVD

Answer 26

● Anticoagulants reduce blood clotting, lowering the
risk of a heart attack or stroke
● However, they can cause excessive bleeding

Question 27

Outline the benefits vs the risks of using

antihypertensives to treat CVD

Answer 27

● Antihypertensives lower blood pressure, reducing
damage to artery walls and the build up of atheromas
● However, they can have unpleasant side-effects such
as headaches, dizziness or fainting

Question 28

What are stents?

Answer 28

● Small, hollow tubes inserted into the
lumen of arteries to keep them open
● Require surgery to insert

Question 29

What are the problems with the use of stents to treat

CVD?

Answer 29

● Stents cause the growth of scar tissue in the
arteries over time, further narrowing the lumen
● Blood clots may stick to stents

Question 30

What is a coronary bypass?

Answer 30

Using a blood vessel from another region
of the body (e.g. leg, arm) to divert blood
around a blockage in the coronary artery.

Question 31

What does a heart transplant involve?

Answer 31

● Replacing a damaged heart with a
donated heart
● Immunosuppressant drugs taken to
prevent organ rejection

Question 32

Describe the benefits of heart surgery

Answer 32

● Lifesaving
● Can provide a permanent solution to a
disease

Question 33

Describe the risks of heart surgery

Answer 33

● Involves many risks e.g. infection, excessive bleeding etc.
● Difficult to find a suitable donor
● Risk of rejection
● Immunosuppressant drugs must be taken for life
● Long recovery time
● Expensive