BIOLOGICAL FACTORS INFLUENCING VARIATIONS IN HEALTH STATUS

BIOLOGICAL FACTORS

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

AGE

referring to how age 20-30 years may peak in optimal health and wellbeing, then body systems will decline as age increases, therefore increasing a range of risks of developing conditions.

BODY WEIGHT

refers to how overweight and obesity are biological factors that can impact health and wellbeing and influence other biological factors.

excess weight strains the heart, leading to high blood pressure (hypertension), increases inflammation which leads to cancer risks, and greater strain of the joints of bones leading to a greater risk of developing osteoarthritis.

BLOOD PRESSURE

refers to the force exerted on the blood vessel walls. high blood pressure leads to hypertension, meaning the heart is working harder to pump blood, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

BLOOD CHOLESTROL

refers to a fat-like substance essential for cell function, transported through the bloodstream by lipoproteins: HDL (good) and LDL (bad). high blood cholesterol may be due to poor lifestyle habits (e.g. lack of exercise, poor nutrition, smoking, excessive alcohol etc.) this leads to the narrowing of blood vessels (atherosclerosis) → increasing risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

GLUCOSE REGULATION

refers to the process of maintaining blood sugar within a narrow range, primarily driven by insulin (lowers blood sugar) and glucagon (raises blood sugar) secreted by the pancreas.

impaired glucose regulation may be due to genetic predisposition, lack of exercise, obesity, diet high in fat (high LDL and blood pressure). these may cause insulin resistance, leading to type 2 diabetes.

BIRTH WEIGHT

low birth weight = 2.5kg

premature birth means less time spent in the uterus means less time to grow and develop.

low birth weight may be due to the mother’s nutritional status, if she consumed alcohol, smoked, drugs etc., if she was ill during pregnancy.

GENETICS

certain conditions are either exclusive to males or females or are more prevalent in one of the sexes due to the biological differences between the sexes, which are caused by genetics.

females are more likely to develop ovarian cancer, breast cancer etc.

males are more likely to develop testicular cancer, prostate cancer etc.