Non-Communicable Diseases Flashcards

All 14 cards in this deck

Name four types of non-communicable disease.

Cardiovascular diseases, many cancers, some lung diseases and some liver diseases (also diseases influenced by nutrition).
Each results from the interaction of a number of risk factors.

What is the equation for BMI?

BMI = mass (kg) ÷ (height (m))², in kg/m²

What effect does drinking a large amount of alcohol over many years have on the liver?

It damages and destroys liver cells, causing liver disease such as cirrhosis (scar tissue) and liver cancer.

Give two lifestyle factors behind rising levels of obesity at national and global levels.

Diets high in fat and sugar (energy taken in is greater than energy used) and a lack of regular exercise.

True or false? A high BMI always means a person is carrying too much fat.

False. A very muscular person can have a high BMI, so a waist : hip ratio is also used to judge risk.

What effect does smoking have on the risk of cardiovascular disease?

It increases it: nicotine raises heart rate and blood pressure and carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen carried by the blood, so arteries are damaged and fatty deposits build up.

How do statins reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease?

They lower blood cholesterol, slowing the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries.
They must be taken for life and can have side effects such as muscle pain.

What is a stent and how does it treat cardiovascular disease?

A mesh tube pushed into a narrowed coronary artery to hold it open, restoring blood flow to the heart muscle.
The effect is immediate, but surgery carries risks such as infection or blood clots.

Give two lifestyle changes used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Stopping smoking, eating less saturated fat and salt, taking regular exercise, or losing excess body mass.
These are cheap and have no side effects, but depend on the patient keeping to them.

True or false? Data showing heart disease is more common in smokers proves that smoking causes heart disease.

False. The data show a correlation; cause can only be concluded with further evidence, such as a biological mechanism or controlled studies.

What is the equation for the waist : hip ratio?

waist : hip ratio = waist circumference ÷ hip circumference (same units, so no unit)

What does a high waist : hip ratio tell you about a person?

They store a lot of fat around the abdomen, which means a higher risk of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease.

What is coronary bypass surgery?

An operation in which a healthy blood vessel from another part of the body is attached so that blood flows around the blocked part of a coronary artery.

What is malnutrition?

A diet with the wrong amounts of nutrients, either too little or too much of them. e.g. too little vitamin C causes scurvy; too much energy-rich food can lead to obesity.