biological factors

Body Weight

1. • High body weight places extra pressure on the heart to pump blood around the body increasing the risk of hypertension and thus cardiovascular disease (morbidity) 

   • High body weight has been linked to a number of cancers including colorectal cancers and breast cancers (mortality, lower life expectancy) 

   • Contributes to osteoarthritis due to increased strain on joints.

Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

• Can lead to kidney failure due to increased pressure on the kidney (which are responsible to regulating blood pressure) (morbidity and mortality) 

• Hypertension increases the pressure on the artery walls, making the heart work harder, increasing risk of heart attack and stroke (increased mortality rates and lower life expectancy)

Blood Cholesterol

• Leads to atherosclerosis (narrowing of arteries), increasing heart attack risk.

• Reduce the amount of blood reaching the brain, which can contribute to a type of dementia called ‘vascular dementia’. ( increased rates of morbidity and mortality and lower life expectancy)

Glucose Regulation (Impaired Glucose Tolerance)

Impaired glucose regulation results in raised blood glucose levels increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes and thus kidney disease (morbidity)

Birth Weight (Low Birth Weight)

• Low birthweight usually means an underdeveloped immune system increasing the risk of infections such as pneumonia and premature death (contributing to infant and under-5 mortality rates, and lower life expectancy) 

• Increases the risk of a number of conditions later in life, including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (morbidity) 

Genetics (Including Sex and Hormones)

• Women are more prone to osteoporosis due to lower testosterone and estrogen changes after menopause. (morbidity) 

• Men are at higher risk of partaking in risk taking behaviours due to increased testosterone levels contributing to illness and mortality 

• Genetic predisposition increases likelihood of conditions like cancer, diabetes, and depression

Age

Aging increases the incidence and prevalence of a range of conditions, including hearing loss, sight disorders, back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, depression and dementia.

Biological factors

Factors relating to the body that impact health and wellbeing, such as genetics, body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and birth weight