Non-Communicable Diseases
Non-communicable diseases are medical conditions that cannot be spread from person to person. Learn about examples like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, the risk factors that increase their likelihood, and how lifestyle choices like diet, smoking, and exercise affect health. This topic helps you understand how these diseases develop and how they can be prevented or treated.
Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases
Diseases can be divided into two main types:
- Communicable diseases are infectious and caused by pathogens like bacteria, viruses, or fungi. They can spread from person to person (e.g. flu, measles, malaria).
- Non-communicable diseases are not infectious and cannot be passed between people. These include long-term conditions like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
What Affects Your Health?
Health is influenced by more than just whether you catch a disease. Several factors can affect your physical and mental well-being, such as:
- Diet – poor nutrition can lead to obesity or deficiencies
- Exercise – helps maintain a healthy body and heart
- Smoking and alcohol – increase risk of many diseases
- Stress and mental health – can impact physical health too
- Access to healthcare, housing, and the environment also matter
Revision Notes
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Exam Questions & Answers
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Risk Factors for Non-Communicable Diseases
A risk factor is anything that increases your chance of developing a disease. These can be:
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- Lifestyle-related: smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise, alcohol
- Environmental: pollution or exposure to harmful substances
- Genetic: some diseases run in families or are inherited
Risk factors often work together and can make non-communicable diseases more likely and more severe.
Types of Non-Communicable Disease
There are several important non-communicable diseases you need to know for GCSE Biology:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD)
- Cancer
- Type 2 diabetes
- Chronic respiratory diseases (e.g. asthma, COPD)
- Liver and kidney diseases
These conditions usually develop over time and can be influenced by both genes and lifestyle choices.
Cardiovascular Disease and Heart Treatments
Cardiovascular disease affects the heart and blood vessels, often due to fatty deposits building up in arteries (coronary heart disease). This reduces blood flow and can lead to heart attacks.
Treatments include:
- Stents – to keep arteries open
- Statins – to lower blood cholesterol
- Lifestyle changes – diet, exercise, stopping smoking
Some people have faulty heart valves that don’t open or close properly, which can lead to breathlessness and poor blood circulation. These can be treated with:
- Biological valves (from animals or donors)
- Mechanical valves (long-lasting but require medication)
Cancer
Cancer is caused by uncontrolled cell division, which can lead to the formation of tumours:
- Benign tumours stay in one place and are not usually dangerous
- Malignant tumours can spread to other parts of the body (metastasis) and are cancerous
Risk factors for cancer include:
- Smoking
- Excessive UV exposure
- Alcohol
- Genetic mutations
Detecting cancer early improves the chances of successful treatment.
Revision Notes
The Cornell method is like a supercharged note-taking system that helps you ace your revision!
Print out our blank revision notes pages to help you revise.
How to make effective revision notes with the Cornell method.