Risk factors for non-communicable diseases

What are risk factors?

Things that are linked to an increase in your chance of contracting a disease

E.g. smoking, obesity, drinking, exposure to radiation

What kind of impact can lifestyle factors have?

locally, nationally, globally

How are non-communicable diseases more common in developed countries?

Having a higher income means they are more likely to buy high-fat food

What risk factors are able to directly cause disease?

1) Smoking = damages the walls of the arteries and the cells in the lining of the lungs

2) Obesity = makes the body less sensitive to insulin, struggles to control the concentration in glucose in the blood

3) Alcohol = damages the nerve cells in the brain

4) Smoking

5) Exposure to substances or radiation

What diseases does smoking cause?

Cardiovascular disease, lung disease and lung cancer

What disease does obesity cause?

Type 2 diabetes

What disease does drinking too much alcohol cause?

Liver disease, affect brain function (lose volume)

What causes cancer?

Carcinogens (ionising radiation from x - rays)

How can risk factors be indentified?

Correlations in data

What is the human cost of having a non-communicable disease?

People with diseases have a lower quality of life or a shorter lifespan. Affects the sufferers + families

What is the financial cost of having a non-communicable disease?

Great cost researching etc. NHS

Families may have to move or adapt their home

Family income is reduced

Reduction of people able to work affect the countries economy