Non communicable diseases Flashcards
Tumour
Changes in genes caused by a mutation
Causing uncontrolled growth and mitosis = tumour
Benign tumour
Growth of abnormal cells in one area
Maintained in a membrane = don’t invade = stay in one place
Malignant tumour
Abnormal cells that invade neighbouring tissues by moving into bloodstream = cancer
Spread to other parts
Secondary tumours
Tumours that have spread to other areas of body in the blood
Genetic risk factor for cancer
Breast cancer
Prostate cancer
Large intestine cancer
Lifestyle risk factors for cancer
Lung cancer = smoking
Skin cancer = exposure to excessive ultraviolet light
Mouth and throat cancer = alcohol
Environmental risk factors for cancer
Lung cancer = exposure to radon gas
How can diseases interact?
Disease leaving a defective immune system = become infected with other disease
Can increase risk of other disease
Can leave you an allergy caused by immune system itself
Mental illness caused by physical
Epidemiology
Studying someone’s life style habits to link patterns in what causes diseases
To find risk factors
Correlation
A link between a lifestyle factor and risk of developing diseases
Correlation causation theory
A correlation between a lifestyle factor and disease DOESN’T PROVE that it causes it
Suggests a link
Positive correlation
An increase in a certain factor increases the chance of causing a disease
Causal mechanism
Looking at HOW the certain factor may cause the disease
What is required to correlate a risk factor to a disease?
Causal mechanism = proof that the risk factor contains something of risk
Correlation = proof an increase of a factor causing increase risk in disease
Sampling
When trying to find correlation between potential risk factor and disease…
We study a group of people to test this theory
What MUST a sample be?
Large enough to cover as many people possible
Random enough to represent the whole country = certain areas aren’t representative
Risk factor for cardiovascular disease
Diets high in fat and low in vegetables increase cholesterol levels in blood, build up of fatty materials in arteries = CHD
High in salt = high blood pressure
Smoking
Decrease risk of cardiovascular disease
Exercise regularly
Risk factor for lung disease
Smoking
Smoke contains carcinogens such as tar = lung cancer
Contains dangerous chemicals = emphysema
Smoking when pregnant
Harms foetus
Cause risk of miscarriage and premature birth
Born with low body mass
Drinking alcohol when pregnant
Fetal alcohol syndrome = child born has learning difficulties and other mental and physical problems
Risk of liver disease
Drinking alcohol:
Liver cancer
Liver cirrhosis
When filtering out alcohol liver cells die
Type 2 diabetes
Body cells no longer respond to insulin to take glucose into cells
So blood sugar levels rise
Risk factors for type 2 diabetes
Obesity
Risk factors not associated with lifestyle
Environment eg chemicals near you such as radon
What can risk factors do?
Interact
For example drinking alcohol can cause obesity increasing risk of type 2 diabetes
