Identify and describe What Are Non-Communicable Diseases?, The Human and Financial Costs of NCDs and Lifestyle and Environmental Risk Factors in the context of the effect of lifestyle on some non-communicable diseases.
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GCSE Biology Revision
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GCSE Biology revision
The effect of lifestyle on some non-communicable diseases
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Explain the relationships between What Are Non-Communicable Diseases?, The Human and Financial Costs of NCDs and Lifestyle and Environmental Risk Factors and how they contribute to the effect of lifestyle on some non-communicable diseases.
Apply and analyse knowledge of What Are Non-Communicable Diseases?, The Human and Financial Costs of NCDs and Lifestyle and Environmental Risk Factors to interpret unfamiliar information about the effect of lifestyle on some non-communicable diseases.
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What Are Non-Communicable Diseases?
- Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) cannot be passed from person to person and are often linked to lifestyle and environmental factors.
- Examples of NCDs include coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, lung disease, and certain cancers.
- Most NCDs are caused by a combination of factors rather than a single cause.
The Human and Financial Costs of NCDs
- NCDs reduce an individual's quality of life, mental health, and life expectancy.
- At a local level, NCDs place increased demands on carers and community health services.
- At a national level, NCDs increase NHS spending on chronic illness and require greater investment in medical research.
- At a global level, NCDs reduce the overall supply of healthy labour, weakening economies, particularly in less economically developed countries.
Lifestyle and Environmental Risk Factors
- Lifestyle risk factors such as poor diet, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and lack of exercise can increase the risk of developing NCDs.
- Environmental risk factors such as asbestos exposure, air pollution, and high carbon dioxide emissions can also contribute to the development of NCDs.
- Impoverished areas may experience higher rates of NCDs due to greater exposure to lifestyle risk factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption.
Correlation vs. Causation
- A correlation is a trend in data, for example, as smoking rates increase, rates of cardiovascular disease also increase.
- Causation means that one factor directly causes another, which requires stronger evidence than a correlation alone.
- Correlation does not always mean causation — for example, a rise in blue-top milk sales correlating with a rise in coronary heart disease does not mean one causes the other.
- Most NCDs are caused by multiple factors acting together, so a single correlation rarely tells the whole story.
Diet, Exercise, and Cardiovascular Disease
- A poor diet can lead to raised cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of atherosclerosis, where fatty plaques build up in the lining of arteries.
- Atherosclerosis can block the coronary arteries, reducing blood supply to the heart muscle and contributing to coronary heart disease.
- Regular exercise increases blood supply to the heart and can reduce cholesterol levels, making it protective against cardiovascular disease.
Smoking and Cardiovascular and Lung Disease
- Nicotine from cigarettes increases heart rate and makes platelets sticky, increasing the risk of blood clotting in arteries and cardiovascular disease.
- Tar from tobacco smoke damages the alveoli, reducing the efficiency of gas exchange and oxygen delivery to the body.
- Damage to the alveoli can lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer.
- Chemicals in smoke can also paralyse cilia, the tiny hair-like structures that sweep mucus, bacteria, and dust particles out of the airways.
Alcohol and Its Effects on the Body
- Long-term excessive alcohol consumption can cause liver cirrhosis, which is scarring of the liver tissue, and increases the risk of liver cancer.
- Alcohol also damages the nervous system, impairing brain function over time.
- Alcohol can cross the placenta during pregnancy, potentially causing developmental problems, heart defects, and deformities in the foetus.
Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes
- Obesity makes the body's cells less sensitive to insulin, the hormone responsible for allowing cells to take up glucose from the blood.
- Reduced insulin sensitivity leads to higher blood glucose levels, which can result in type 2 diabetes.
- Reducing the intake of high-sugar foods and improving diet can help lower the risk of obesity and therefore reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes.
Smoking, Alcohol, and Pregnancy
- Smoking during pregnancy damages the mother's alveoli, reducing oxygen delivery to the foetus, which can lead to stillbirth, premature birth, or reduced birth weight.
- Alcohol consumed during pregnancy can cross the placenta and cause developmental problems and heart defects in the foetus.
Carcinogens and Sampling
- Carcinogens are factors that increase the risk of cancer and include ionising radiation, tobacco smoke, and certain viruses.
- Laboratory workers exposed to carcinogens may wear radiation detectors to monitor and minimise their exposure.
- Scientists use large, random, and unbiased samples from a population to identify risk factors and investigate links to NCDs.
- Data from samples can be plotted on graphs and tables to identify correlations between risk factors and the incidence of disease.