T2 - health and disease

Question 1

What is coronary heart disease?

Answer 1

Coronary heart disease (CHD) occurs when the coronary arteries narrow due to build-up of fatty deposits; this reduces the flow of blood through the coronary arteries of the heart.

Question 2

True or False? Statins are drugs used to reduce blood sugar levels.

Answer 2

False. Statins are drugs used to lower the levels of blood cholesterol.

Question 3

Give one advantage and one disadvantage of treating cardiovascular disease using statins.

Answer 3

Advantages of treating cardiovascular disease using statins include: slowing down the rate at which fatty deposits occur, increasing levels of HDL (‘good’) cholesterol. Disadvantages of treating cardiovascular disease using statins include: need to be taken continuously, can take time to be effective, can cause side effects.

Question 4

How are stents used in the treatment of cardiovascular disease?

Answer 4

Stents are used to widen the lumen of the coronary arteries; this keeps the arteries open and increases blood flow to the heart muscle.

Question 5

True or False? The insertion of a stent involves major surgery.

Answer 5

False. The insertion of a stent can be carried out during minor surgery, though the process does bring some risk of blood vessel damage and infection.

Question 6

What are the possible consequences of faulty heart valves?

Answer 6

Consequences of faulty heart valves include: valves may not fully open, valves may become leaky. Either of these situations will reduce blood flow through the heart, and so reduce the volume of blood pumped by the heart with each beat.

Question 7

True or False? Faulty heart valves can be treated by replacing damaged valves with mechanical valves.

Answer 7

True. Faulty heart valves can be replaced with mechanical or biological valves.

Question 8

True or False? There is no risk of immune rejection with biological valve replacements.

Answer 8

False. Biological valve replacements do bring a risk of immune rejection. This is because they contain donor tissue which is not an exact tissue match to the recipient.

Question 9

When might an artificial heart be used in the treatment of cardiovascular disease?

Answer 9

An artificial heart might be used in the treatment of cardiovascular disease when: a patient is experiencing heart failure, a donor heart is not immediately available, a patient’s heart needs time to rest during recovery.

Question 10

Give one advantage and one disadvantage of artificial hearts in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Answer 10

Advantages of treating cardiovascular disease using an artificial heart include: not needing to wait for a suitable donor heart, reduced risk of immune rejection. Disadvantages of treating cardiovascular disease using an artificial heart include: artificial hearts are less effective than biological hearts, an increased risk of blood clotting with artificial hearts.

Question 11

Define the term health.

Answer 11

An individual’s health is their state of physical and mental wellbeing.

Question 12

What are the factors that can affect health?

Answer 12

Factors that can affect health include: communicable disease, non-communicable disease, diet, stress, life situations, e.g. home and income.

Question 13

True or False? HIV can affect immune function, which in turn increases the likelihood that an individual will be affected by infectious diseases.

Answer 13

True. HIV is a virus that causes the immune system to become defective; HIV infection may therefore increase an individual’s susceptibility to other infections.

Question 14

What is the connection between viruses and cancer?

Answer 14

Cells that are infected with viruses may be more likely to become cancerous, e.g. infection with HPV increases the likelihood of cervical cancer developing.

Question 15

True or False? The immune system responding to pathogens can trigger allergic reactions.

Answer 15

True. Immune reactions to pathogens can trigger allergic reactions, e.g. skin rashes.

Question 16

True or False? There is no connection between physical health and mental health.

Answer 16

False. Poor physical health increases the likelihood of mental illness, e.g. depression.

Question 17

Give three examples of non-communicable diseases.

Answer 17

Examples of non-communicable diseases include: lung disease, lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, cancer.

Question 18

Define the term risk factor.

Answer 18

A risk factor is a factor that increases the likelihood of developing a disease. Exposure to a risk factor does not mean that disease will definitely occur.

Question 19

What are some lifestyle factors that can affect the incidence of non-communicable disease?

Answer 19

Lifestyle factors that can affect the incidence of non-communicable disease include: diet, alcohol consumption, smoking.

Question 20

What is the difference between correlation and causation?

Answer 20

Correlation is an association between two factors while causation is when a change in one factor causes a change in another. A correlation between two factors does not guarantee that there is a causal link.

Question 21

Give two examples of risk factors that have been causally linked to a disease.

Answer 21

Examples of risk factors that have been causally linked to a disease include: diet / smoking / exercise and CVD, obesity and type 2 diabetes, alcohol and liver disease, smoking and lung disease / lung cancer, smoking / alcohol and fetal development, ionising radiation and cancer.

Question 22

Define the term sampling.

Answer 22

Sampling involves collecting data on a small section of the population that can be used to represent an entire population.

Question 23

What is cancer?

Answer 23

Cancer occurs when changes in cells cause uncontrolled cell growth and division; this leads to tumour development.

Question 24

What is a benign tumour?

Answer 24

A benign tumour is a group of abnormal cells contained within one area and usually surrounded by a membrane. Benign tumours do not spread to other parts of the body.

Question 25

Give two features of a malignant tumour.

Answer 25

Features of malignant tumours include: they are cancerous, they can invade nearby tissues, they can spread to other parts of the body, forming secondary tumours.

Question 26

What are some of the lifestyle risk factors associated with cancer?

Answer 26

Lifestyle risk factors associated with cancer include: diet, smoking, exposure to UV radiation, exposure to certain viruses.

Question 27

True or False? Cancer incidence is only affected by lifestyle factors.

Answer 27

False. Some cancers have been related to genetic factors as well as lifestyle factors.