Causes and Effects Inquiry question: Do non-infectious diseases cause more deaths than infectious diseases? Students: ● investigate the causes and effects of non-infectious diseases in humans, including but not limited to: – genetic diseases – diseases caused by environmental exposure – nutritional diseases – cancer ● collect and represent data to show the incidence, prevalence and mortality rates of non-infectious diseases, for example: – nutritional diseases – diseases caused by environmental exposure
Transcript
Causes and EffectsInquiry question: Do non-infectious diseases cause more deaths than infectious diseases?
Students:● investigate the causes and effects of non-infectious diseases in humans,
including but not limited to: – genetic diseases – diseases caused by environmental exposure – nutritional diseases – cancer
● collect and represent data to show the incidence, prevalence and mortality rates of non-infectious diseases, for example:
– nutritional diseases – diseases caused by environmental exposure
Non-Infectious Disease report from the World Health Organisation 2018
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally.
Each year, 15 million people die from a NCD between the ages of 30 and 69 years; over 85% of these "premature" deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
Cardiovascular diseases account for most NCD deaths, or 17.9 million people annually, followed by cancers (9.0 million), respiratory diseases (3.9million), and diabetes (1.6 million).
These 4 groups of diseases account for over 80% of all premature NCD deaths. Tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol and unhealthy diets all
increase the risk of dying from a NCD. Detection, screening and treatment of NCDs, as well as palliative care, are key
components of the response to NCDs.
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases, tend to be of long duration and are the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behaviours factors.
The main types of NCDs are cardiovascular diseases (like heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma) and diabetes.
NCDs disproportionately affect people in low- and middle-income countries where more than three quarters of global NCD deaths – 32million – occur.
Who is at risk of such diseases?
People of all age groups, regions and countries are affected by NCDs. These conditions are often associated with older age groups, but evidence shows that 15 million of all deaths attributed to NCDs occur between the ages of 30 and 69 years. Of these "premature" deaths, over 85% are estimated to occur in low- and middle-income countries. Children, adults and the elderly are all vulnerable to the risk factors contributing to NCDs, whether from unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, exposure to tobacco smoke or the harmful use of alcohol.
Monogenic diseasesMonogenic diseases result from modifications in a single gene occurring in all cells of the body. Though relatively rare, they affect millions of people worldwide. Scientists currently estimate that over 10,000 of human diseases are known to be monogenic. Pure genetic diseases are caused by a single error in a single gene in the human DNA. The nature of disease depends on the functions performed by the modified gene. The single-gene or monogenic diseases can be classified into three main categories:
Dominant Recessive X-linked
All human beings have two sets or copies of each gene called “allele”; one copy on each side of the chromosome pair. Recessive diseases are monogenic disorders that occur due to damages in both copies or allele. Dominant diseases are monogenic disorders that involve damage to only one gene copy. X linked diseases are monogenic disorders that are linked to defective genes on the X chromosome which is the sex chromosome. The X linked alleles can also be dominant or recessive. These alleles are expressed equally in men and women, more so in men as they carry only one copy of X chromosome (XY) whereas women carry two (XX).Monogenic diseases are responsible for a heavy loss of life. The global prevalence of all single gene diseases at birth is approximately 10/1000. In Canada, it has been estimated that taken together, monogenic diseases may account for up to 40% of the work of hospital based paediatric practice (Scriver, 1995).Genetic Diseases include, -ThalassaemiaSickle cell anemiaHaemophiliaCystic FibrosisTay sachs diseaseFragile X syndromeHuntington's disease
Wittenoom Western Australia and malignant mesothelioma
Indigenous West Australians have the highest death rate for malignant mesothelioma in the world, a study into asbestos-related diseases has found.
Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer that can develop following inhalation or ingestion of asbestos spores.
The condition affects the membrane lining of the lungs and abdomen and can take a number of years to develop after first exposure.
The University of Western Australia study also found 67 per cent of mesothelioma cases affecting Indigenous West Australians could be linked directly to asbestos mining at the Wittenoom Gorge in the Pilbara.
Senior research fellow Peter Franklin said this was likely due to higher exposure by people involved in the transport of asbestos at the site, who were mostly Aboriginal.
"It was quite well known that Aboriginal people did work in the mine and often they were given the jobs that other people didn't want to do," Dr Franklin said.
This often involved moving hessian sacks containing raw asbestos more than 300 kilometres to storage areas at Roebourne, before they were shipped to Perth.
President of the Asbestos Diseases Society Robert Vojakovic, who also worked at Wittenoom, said they were never provided with any safety equipment.
"I was never given any mask ... the Indigenous people were not given anything," he said.
"The roads to Point Samson and Roebourne were pretty rough, there was a lot of pot holes ... when they came back to Roebourne they would be grey from all the asbestos."
Between 1943 and 1966 nearly 7,000 people worked at the mine, which was operated by Australia Blue Asbestos Company.
More than 300 former workers have died from malignant mesothelioma, according to Dr Franklin.
In 2007 the township of Wittenoom was closed and declared a contaminated site.
Globally, one in five deaths are associated with poor dietApril 3, 2019
People in almost every region of the world could benefit from rebalancing their diets to eat optimal amounts of various foods and nutrients, according to the Global Burden of Disease study tracking trends in consumption of 15 dietary factors from 1990 to 2017 in 195 countries.
People in almost every region of the world could benefit from rebalancing their diets to eat optimal amounts of various foods and nutrients, according to the Global Burden of Disease study tracking trends in consumption of 15 dietary factors from 1990 to 2017 in 195 countries, published in The Lancet.
The study estimates that one in five deaths globally -- equivalent to 11 million deaths -- are associated with poor diet, and diet contributes to a range of chronic diseases in people around the world. In 2017, more deaths were caused by diets with too low amounts of foods such as whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds than by diets with high levels of foods like trans fats, sugary drinks, and high levels of red and processed meats.
The authors say that their findings highlight the urgent need for coordinated global efforts to improve diet, through collaboration with various sections of the food system and policies that drive balanced diets.
"This study affirms what many have thought for several years -- that poor diet is responsible for more deaths than any other risk factor in the world," says study author Dr Christopher Murray, Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, USA. "While sodium, sugar, and fat have been the focus of policy debates over the past two decades, our assessment suggests the leading dietary risk factors are high intake of sodium, or low intake of healthy foods, such as whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds, and vegetables. The paper also highlights the need for comprehensive interventions to promote the production, distribution, and consumption of healthy foods across all nations."
Impact of diet on non-communicable diseases and mortalityThe study evaluated the consumption of major foods and nutrients across 195 countries and quantified the impact of poor diets on death and disease from non-communicable diseases (specifically cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes). It tracked trends between 1990 and 2017.
Overall in 2017, an estimated 11 million deaths were attributable to poor diet. Diets high in sodium, low in whole grains, and low in fruit together accounted for more than half of all diet-related deaths globally in 2017.
The causes of these deaths included 10 million deaths from cardiovascular disease, 913,000 cancer deaths, and almost 339,000 deaths from type 2 diabetes. Deaths related to diet have increased from 8 million in 1990, largely due to increases in the population and population aging.
Of 56.9 million global deaths in 2016, 40.5 million, or 71%, were due to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The four main NCDs are cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and chronic lung diseases. The burden of these diseases is rising disproportionately among lower income countries and populations. In 2016, over three quarters of NCD deaths -- 31.5 million -- occurred in low- and middle-income countries with about 46% of deaths occurring before the age of 70 in these countries.
The leading causes of NCD deaths in 2016 were cardiovascular diseases (17.9 million deaths, or 44% of all NCD deaths), cancers (9.0 million, or 22% of all NCD deaths), and respiratory diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (3.8 million of 9% of all NCD deaths). Diabetes caused another 1.6 million deaths.
In a healthy body, the trillions of cells it’s made of grow and divide, as the body needs them to function daily. New cells take the place of old or damaged cells as they die. Cancer disrupts this process and leads to abnormal growth in cells. It’s caused by changes or mutations in DNA.
DNA exists in the individual genes of every cell. It has instructions that tell the cell what functions to perform and how to grow and divide. Mutations occur frequently in DNA, but usually cells correct these mistakes. When a mistake is not corrected, a cell can become cancerous.
Mutations can cause cells that should be replaced to survive instead of die, and new cells to form when they’re not needed. These extra cells can divide uncontrollably, causing growths called tumours to form. Tumours can cause a variety of health problems, depending on where they grow in the body.
But not all tumours are cancerous. Benign tumours are noncancerous and do not spread to nearby tissues. Sometimes, they can grow large and cause problems when they press against neighbouring organs and tissue. Malignant tumours are cancerous and can invade other parts of the body.
Some cancer cells can also migrate through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to distant areas of the body. This process is called metastasis. Cancers that have metastasized are considered more advanced than those that have not. Metastatic cancers tend to be harder to treat and more fatal.
Cancers are named for the area in which they begin and the type of cell they are made of, even if they spread to other parts of the body. For example, a cancer that begins in the lungs and spreads to the liver is still called lung cancer. There are also several clinical terms used for certain general types of cancer:
Carcinoma is a cancer that starts in the skin or the tissues that line other organs.
Sarcoma is a cancer of connective tissues such as bones, muscles, cartilage, and blood vessels.
Leukemia is a cancer of bone marrow, which creates blood cells.
Lymphoma and myeloma are cancers of the immune system.
