Non-Communicable Diseases Overview

Study Notes

NCDs, or lifestyle diseases, are chronic conditions not caused by infectious agents and not spread from person to person.
Common NCDs include diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and respiratory diseases.
Major risk factors include unhealthy lifestyle choices, chronic stress, poor diet, physical inactivity, and addictions (e.g., alcohol, smoking).

Complex Etiology: Multiple and diverse risk factors; includes uncontrollable (modernization, aging) and controllable (blood pressure, obesity) causes.
Non-Contagious: NCDs directly relate to lifestyle choices.
Prolonged Course: Require long-term medical management due to their chronic nature.

Hypertension:
- Higher prevalence in individuals with a BMI of 30 or more.
- Associated with increased blood volume, vascular resistance, and cardiac output.
- Linked to elevated risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke.
Dyslipidemia:
- Obesity influences lipid profiles, increasing risks for CHD with raised total cholesterol and triglycerides, and low good cholesterol levels.
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus:
- Consistent correlation between obesity and diabetes development; a weight gain of 5 kg in adulthood accounts for 27% of new cases.
- Abdominal obesity is a significant risk factor.
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD):
- Overweight and obesity elevate morbidity and mortality risks due to direct relationship with cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
- A weight gain of 5 to 8 kg raises CHD risk by 25%.

Obesity shortens life expectancy, with all-cause mortality rates increasing by 50% to 100% in individuals with a BMI of 30 or more.
Over 300,000 obesity-related deaths occur annually in the U.S.
The direct medical costs stemming from obesity are approximately 51.6billion,withindirectcostsreaching51.6 billion, with indirect costs reaching 51.6billion,withindirectcostsreaching47.6 billion.
Over $33 billion is spent yearly on weight-loss interventions.

Obese individuals may face social discrimination and psychological distress, impacting their quality of life.
Common biases include perceived lack of self-control and stigmatization, affecting opportunities in education, employment, and healthcare.

Genetic Factors: Obesity shows a familial tendency, with studies suggesting genetic influence may account for up to 70% of BMI variance.
Environmental Factors:
- Increased prevalence of eating away from home, especially fast food, correlates with high energy and fat intake, contributing to weight gain.
- A decrease in physical activity, attributed to modern conveniences and sedentary leisure activities, significantly raises obesity risk.
Physical Inactivity: Majority of the U.S. population engages in little or no physical activity, leading to higher body weights and BMI disparities negatively associated with activity levels.

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