Leading Causes of Morbidity & Mortality and Chronic Disease Epidemiology

Flashcards covering leading causes of mortality, years of life lost, chronic diseases, cardiovascular health, cancer epidemiology, infectious disease pathogens, environmental health paradigms, and research ethics.

Morbidity

Any departure, subjective or objective, from a state of physiological or psychological well being.

Mortality

Death from any cause.

National Vital Statistics System (NVSS)

Provides the most complete data on birth and deaths in the US.

Underlying cause of death

The primary cause of death identified from medical examiner or coroners reports listed on death certificates.

Diseases of heart

The rank $1$ cause of death in the US in $2023$, accounting for $680,981$ deaths ($22.0\%$).

External deaths

The most common causes of death in younger populations (ages $1-24$), including unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide.

Years of Life Lost (YLL)

An estimate of the average years a person should have lived had they not died prematurely, calculated by assuming an individual lives until their remaining life expectancy.

Life Expectancy at Birth (Total)

The average life expectancy for the total US population, which is currently $78.4$ years.

Ischaemic heart disease

The rank $1$ cause of death worldwide in $2021$, accounting for $9,033,116$ deaths ($13.2\%$).

Chronic diseases

Conditions that last $1\text{ year}$ or more and require ongoing medical attention and/or limit activities of daily living.

Social Determinants of Health (SDoH)

Non-medical factors that affect individual and community health, including socioeconomic factors, geographic location, and access to healthcare.

Upstream Risk Factors

Factors that influence the development of midstream and downstream conditions, such as diet, nutrition, physical activity, tobacco use, and SDoH.

Midstream Chronic Conditions

Conditions such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), and dyslipidemia (high cholesterol).

Atherosclerosis

The formation of hard deposits on the inside of arteries, making them less flexible and providing locations for clots to form.

Coronary artery disease

Also known as ischemic heart disease; heart damage caused by narrowed heart arteries resulting in decreased blood flow and oxygen.

Ischemic stroke

Brain damage caused when blood flow is blocked from the brain, usually by a clot.

Hemorrhagic stroke

Brain damage caused when a blood vessel supplying the brain bursts, usually due to uncontrolled high blood pressure.

Thrombus

A blood clot that forms within the vessels.

Embolus

A blood clot that moves around the circulatory system.

Stroke Belt

A region in the southeastern US identified in the $1950\text{s}$ as having the highest stroke mortality rate in the country.

Statins

A class of medications that lower cholesterol by blocking the body's natural production of sterols.

ACE inhibitors

A type of anti-hypertensive medication that inhibits angiotensin, a hormonal vasoconstrictor.

Cancer (Neoplasm)

A disease group characterized by uncontrolled cell proliferation and spread.

Metastasis

The spread of cancer from one body part to another.

Cancer Staging (Stage IV)

Categorization indicating that the cancer has metastasized to other parts of the body.

Lung and bronchus cancer

The leading cause of cancer mortality for both men and women in the US.

Prion

Misfolded proteins (transmissible spongiform encephalopathies) that lack nucleic acids and are not living organisms.

Virus

Intracellular microorganisms that are not alive and rely on a host's cellular machinery to replicate.

Bacteria Morphology (Cocci)

Sphere-shaped single-celled organisms capable of self-replication.

Indirect Detection (Serology)

The detection of the host's antibody-mediated immune response to an agent or toxin.

Antigenic drift

Point mutations resulting in slightly different antigenic appearance, responsible for seasonal variation in influenza strains and epidemic potential.

Antigenic shift

The reassortment of entire gene segments (HA or NA) resulting in a completely different antigenic appearance with pandemic potential.

Environmental Epidemiology

A branch of epidemiology that studies the health effects of physical, chemical, and biological agents external to the human body.

Population Attributable Risk (PAF)

The proportion of a disease in a population that can be attributed to a specific exposure, indicating how much the disease would be reduced if the exposure were removed.

Flint Water Crisis lead level

Testing in Flint, MI found lead concentrations as high as $104\,ug/L$ in resident homes, significantly exceeding the EPA action level of $15\,ug/L$.

Respect for Persons

A Belmont Report principle stating that people have a right to self-determination, autonomy, and informed consent.

Beneficence

A Belmont Report principle requiring researchers to minimize harm and maximize benefits for participants or society.

Justice

A Belmont Report principle ensuring the fair distribution of the burdens (risks) and benefits of human research.