LIFE STYLE DISEASES

LIFE STYLE DISEASES

 INTRODUCTION

"Lifestyle Diseases" or "Diseases of Civilization" are diseases that appears to become more widespread as countries become more industrialized.

These diseases are potentially preventable and can be lowered with changes in diet, lifestyle and environment.

Lifestyle diseases are a result of an inappropriate relationship of people with their environment.

The onset of these diseases are slow, they take years to develop and once encountered do not iend them selves to cure.

The term 'lifestyle'means 'the way people live' reflecting a whole range of social values, attitudes and activities.

It is composed of cuitural and behavioural patterns and life long personal habits such as smoking, alcoholism.

Lifestyles are learnt through social interaction with parents, peer group, friends and sibling and through school and mass media Health requires the promotion of healthy lifestyle.

In the last 20 years various studies indicated that there is an association between health and lifestyle of individuals.

Many health problems such as vascular heart diseases, asthma, diabetes, oral cancer, obesity and lung cancer are associated with Life style changes.

 
CORONARY HEART DISEASE (CHD)

There are a dozen forms of life style Disease Atherosclerosis is the most common and serious vascular disease.

Yellowish plaque of cholesterol, fat and other remains are deposited in the walls of large and medium sized arteries.It usually occurs with aging.

It is linked to overweight, high blood pressure,and diabetes

(i) Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) has been defined as "impairment of heart function due to in adequate blood flow to the heart caused by obstructive changes in the coronary circulation to the heart.

CHD may be related to lifestyle and psychological stress.

(ii) Heart disease and other forms of cardiovascular disease can lead to congestive heart failure, and may also cause disturbance in normal heart beat which is called Arr ythmia.

Risk factors or causes of CHD

The causes are multi-factorial.Apart from the increasing age and sex, studies have identified several important risk factors. 

Some of these factors are modifiable by lifestyle 

whereas other are not modifiable.These risk factors are 

discussed below:

1.Smoking - Smoking has been identified as a major CHD risk factor.It is responsible for 25% of CHD deaths under 65 years of age in men.

2.Hypertension - High blood pressure can lead to a variety of cardiovascular complication for anyone

3.Serum cholesterol - Risk of CHD rises steadily with the serum cholesterol concentration

High level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is directly associated with CHD. High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) is protective against the development of CHD. A total cholesteroVHDL ratio has been developed.A ratio of less than 3.5 has been recommended for CHD prevention

4.Diabetes The risk of CHD is 2-3 times higher in diabetics than in non-diabetics. CHD is responsible for 30 to 50 percent of deaths in diabetics over the age of 40 years in industrialized and developed courtries

5.Obesity - The studies had found that the risk of developing CHD increased 3 to 4 times in obese women.

For every one Kilogram increase in body weight, the risk of death from CHD increased by one percent.

6.Lack of physical exercise - Sedentary life style is associated with a greater risk of development of early CHD.Regular physical exercise increases the concentration of HDL and decreases both body weight and blood pressure which are beneficial to cardiovascular health.

7.Stress - Studies have shown that individuals who have restlessness,hostility and a sense of urgency or impatience aremore prone to CHD than the calmer persons.

Prevention of CHD

1.Dietary changes – Dietary modification is the main preventive strategy in the prevention of CHD.

These include

*Reduction of fat intake to 20-30% of the total calorie intake
» Reduction of dietary cholesterol
» Reduction of saturated fat in diet
*Increase in dietary fibre consunption (vegetables, fruits, whole grain and legumes)
» Avoidance of alcohol consumption
» Reduction of salt intake to 5g daily or less

2.Smoking - Efforts should be made to achieve the goal of a smoke free-society

3.Blood Pressure - Studies proved that even a sma!l reduction in the average blood pressure of the whole population by a mere 2 or 3mm Hg would produce a large reduction in the incidence of cerebro-vascular & cardiovascular complication.

This reduction in blood pressure in volves a multifactorial approach

» Reduced salt intake
» Avoidance of a high alcohol intakes
» Regular physical activity
» Weight controi

4.Physical Activity Regular physical activity should be a part of normal daily life.

HYPERTENSION (HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE)

High Blood Pressure arteries.The arteries are the vessels that carry blood from the pumping heart to oli the tissues and organs of the body.

 Normal blood pressure is 120/80, pressure between 120/80 and 139/89 is called 'Pre-hypertension' and a blood pressure of 150/90 or above is considered high blood pres or Hypertension means high pressure (tension) in the sure.

120 - systolic biood pressure
80 - the diastolic blood pressure

Systolic blood pressure represents the pressure in the arteries as the heart contracts and pumps blood into the arteries.

Diastolic blood pressure - represents the pressure in the arteries as the heart relaxes after the contraction.

The WHO in its expert committee report has defined hypertension in adults as a systolic pressure equal to or greater than 160mm Hg/or a diastolic pressure equai to or greater than 95mm Hg.

The terms Mild Hypertension in adults has been defined as a 'diastolic pressure between 90 and 105mm

Classification - Hypertension is divided into primary (essential) and secondary

a) Essential Hypertension - When the causes of hypertension are generally unknown it is called primary or essential hypertension. It accounts for 90 percent of the cases of hypertension.

b) Secondary Hypertension - When the cause of hypertension is some other disease process or abnormality it is called secondary hypertension.

Prevalence-in some industrialized countries up to 25% of adults have stolic pressure above 90mm Hg. Studies showed that in India the prevae of hypertension is 59.9 and 69.9 per 1000 in males and females respectively in urban population and 35.5 and 35.9 per 1000 in males and specfic females respectively in the rural population.

Complication of Hypertension

Mortality -High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke, CHD, heart or kidney failure and eye damage. The higher the pressure the greater the risk and lower the expectation of life

How is blood pressure measured - The blood pressure is measured with an instrument called (sphygnomanometer).The instrument measure the blood pressure in units called millimeters of mercury (mm Hg.)

Risk factors for Hypertension

Age
Genetic factor

                                                                                                

Modifiable risk factors
Obesity
Salt intake
Saturated fat
Alcohol
Physical activity

Environmental stress
Other factors

Let us learn these modifiable risk factor in details

a) Obesity - Studies have identified obesity as a major risk factor for hy pertension. The greater the weight gain, the greater the risk of getting high blood pressure

b) Salt intake - High salt intake (7-8gm per day) increases blood pressure proportionately. 

Low sodium (salt) intake has been found to lower blood pressure.

Besides sodium, there are other minerals elements such as potassiurm reduces blood pressure. 

Potassium supplement have been found to lower blood pressure of mild to moderate hypertensives.

c) Saturated Fat - Saturated fat raises blood pressure as well as serum cholesterol

d) Alcohol - High alcohol intake is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure.

Alcohol consumption raises systolic pressure more than the diastolic.

e) Physical activity - Lack of physical activity and sedentary life style increases the blood pressure.

f) Environmental stress-The term hypertension itself means a disorder initiated by tension or stress. 

It is an accepted fact that psychological factors operate through mental processes to produce hypertension

g) Other factors - The most common cause of hypertension is oral contraceptives because of the estrogen component present in it.

Non-Modifiable Risk Factors

Age -blood pressure rises with age in both sexes.

Genetic factor - There are several studies which show that blood pressure levels are also influenced by genetic factors.

Prevention of Hypertension

1.Dietary changes -Hypertension can be prevented through dietary changes.These changes in the diet is of great importance.

These are
» Reduction in salt intake to an average of not more than 5g per day
» Lower fat intake
» Avoidance of alcohol intake
* Lower calorie intake to reduce weight.

2.Weight reduction - The prevention and correction of obesity is a way of reducing the risk of hypertension and indirectly CHD

3.Regular exercise - Regular exercise such as jogging, bicycle riding or swimming for 30 to 45 minute daily may lower blood pressure by as a much as 5 to 15mm Hg.

4.Reduction of stress through yoga, meditation can lower blood pressure.

5. Avoidance of smoking
6. Health Education The general public should be given preventive advice on all risk factors and related health problem.

STROKE

Stroke is a world wide health problem. It is one of the leading causes of death and disability through out the world

The term stroke is applied to acute severe manifestation of cerebrovascuar disease. It causes both physical and mental crippling.WHO defined stroke as "rapidly developed clinical signs of focal disturbance of cerebral function, lasting more than 24 hours, leading to death, with no apparent cause other than vascular origin". Strokes includes a number of syndromes
these are –

1.Cerebral haemorrhage
2.Cerebral thrombosis

Risk factors

a).Hypertension - This is the main risk factor for cerebral thrombosis as well as cerebral haemorrhage

b) Other factors such as diabetes, increased serum blood lipids, obesity, smoking, oral contraceptives etc. may also cause stroke.

c) Age - Usually stroke rates rise steeply with age.

d)Sex-The incidence rates of stroke are higher in males than females at all ages.

Prevention

Let us learn some preventive measure to avoid stroke.These are

*Control of hypertension
» Control of diabetes
* Stop smoking.

DIABETES MELLITUS

abetes has now emerged as an important public health problem in developing world. It is estimated that by the year 2025 there will be 80 million diabetics in the South East Asia. 

The rising prevalence of diabetes in developing countries is closely associated with industrialization and socideconomic development.

Dlabetes refers to hyperglycemia (increase in blood glucose level),the use of diabetes is the defective production or action of insulin. 

Insulin is a hormone that controls glucose, fat and amino acid metabolism. Insulin is secreted by lslets of Langerhans cells found in the pancreas.

Diabetes leads to large number of other complications - such as cerebro vascular,cardiovascular,renal, neurological, opthamological complications.

WHO has adopted following classification of diabetes.

I Diabetes Mellitus-

1.Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus - IDDM(Type-l)
2.Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus - NIDDM(Type-ll)
3.Malnutrition -related diabetes mellitus
4.Other types - pancreatic, hormonal drug induced, genetic defects

Il.Impaired glucose tolerance

IlI.Gestational diabetes mellitus (pregnancy related)

What causes diabetes

The underlying cause of diabetes is insulin deficiency which is absolute in IDDM and partial in NIDDM. Do you know, this may be due to various factors such as

(a) pancreatic disorder
(b) defects in production of insulin
(c) destruction of insulin producing beta cells
(d) Genetic defects
(e) Auto-immunity

Risk factors - Let us study risk factors related to diabetes

1.Age - Studies shows that prevalence rises steeply with age.

2.Sex - It is found in equal proportion in male and female.

3.Genetic Factors - Diabetes is considered a genetic disease.Children of diabetic parents have greater risk of getting this disease.

.4.Obesity - Obesity is a very important risk factor for NIDDM. Obesity produces resistance to the action of insulin

5.Sedentary Life Style - Lack of physical exercise results in increased blood sugar level

6.Malnutrition - Malnutrition in early infancy and childhood may result in failure of beta cell function and hence cause diabetes

7.Excessive Intake of alcohol.Viral infections like Mumps, Rubella etc. destroy the insulin producing

8.beta cells.

9.Chemical agents have toxic effect on beta cells.

10. Stress, anxiety and trauma may lead to NIDDM

Detection of Diabetes

1.Urine test for glucose - in most of the diabetics, urine samples indicate the presence of glucose. But in normal person it is absent.

2.Blood sugar testing - oral glucose tolerance test is done to detect diabetes

Preventioin

After learning so much about this epidemic disease it is very important to Know the preventive measures to control and reduce the risk of diabetes.
These measures are

i) Dietary Changes

*Reduce intake of refined carbohydrates and sugar
*Reduce intake of saturated fat

*Increase intake of fresh and green leafy vegetables
*Increase intake of dietary fibres (whole gráin, coarse cereals, whole legumes)

OBESITY

Obesity is the presence of excess fat in the body.The World Health Organization(WHO) terms obesity a worldwide epidemic.

Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual's ideal body weight. 20 to 40% over ideal weight is considered mildly obese,40-100% over ideal weight is considered moderately obese and 100% over ideal weight is considered severely or morbidly obese

Recent guidelines for obesity use a measurement called Body Mass Index (BMI).

Body Mass Index is the individual's weight in kilograms and divided by height in meter square.

BMI of 25.9-29 is considered over weight, BMI over 30 is considered obese.

What causes obesity

1.Calorie Intake

*More calories are consumed than the body's utilizatior.
*Excess calories are stored as fat in adipose tissue

2 Fat Intake - Excess amount of saturated fat in person's diet are immediately stored in fat cells, which add to the body's weight and girth as they expand and multiply

3 Genetic Factor - These factors significantly influence how the body
regulates the food intake and the rate at which itturns food into energy

4.Sedentary Lifestyle - or lack of physical activity cause obesity

5.Psychological Factors such as depression and low self esteem may play an important role in weight gain

Health Risks associated with obesity -

i)Type 2(adult onset) diabetes – The increases with the degree associated with central obesity.risk of type 2 diabetes (NIDDM) and duration of obesity.

Central obesity means a perso so that the body is shaped like an apple.an has excess fat around his/her waist,

(ii) High Blood Pressure - Hypertension is common among obese adults.Studies showed that weight gain tends to increase ood pressure in women more significantly than in men.

The risk of developing high blood pressure is also higher in obese people who are apple shaped (centr) than in people who are pear shaped (fat distribution mainly in hips and thighs)

(iii) High cholesterol levels
(iv) Strokie
(v) Heart Attack
(vi) Congestive Heart Failure
(vii) Cancer
(vii) Gallstones
(ix)Gout and gouty arthritis
(x)Menstrual irregularities or cessation of menstruation
(xi)Decreased fertility and pregnancy complications
(xii) Gum disease

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of obesity is made by observation and by comparing the patient's weight to ideal weight charts.

Prevention

1.Dietary changes

» Reduction in calorie intake - consumption of less calories
» Reduction in fat intake - particularly saturated fats like ghee, buter.

2.Maintaining a food diary to check and regulate what and how much a person should eat as per height.

3.Eating small frequent meals.

4.Fibre rich food such as raw fruits and vegetables, whole cereals, whole pulses should be eaten

5.activity and follow regular exercise pattern. At least 30 min. brisk walk daily.

6.Person should be motivated to indulge in various outdoor activities games etc.to remove psychological stress and loneliness.

These activities and games will also help the person to remain fit & healthy.

CANCER

Cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled, abnormal growth of cells.

Cancer has been the number two cause of death since 1938 but now days it is considered the number one disease of civilization.

It is estimated that there are approximately 2-2.5 million cases of cancer in India. Half of these cases die each year. Therefore, it is important to study this disease in detail.

There are more than 150 different kinds of cancer Most Frequent Cancers in Males/Females in India

what causes cancer?

1.Tobacco- Tobacco smoking and chewing is the maii cause of cancer of lung, mouth, pharynx, larynx.

2.Alcohol - excessive intake of alcohol is linked with liver and oesophageal cancer.

3.Diet- Studies shows that food additive and contaminants are considered the causative agent of cancer.

Whereas eating of some food such.As smoked fish is related to stomach cancer and high fat diet to breast cancer.

4.Occupation - lt has been found that labourers or workers who have exposure to benzene, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, asbestos are prone to develop cancers.

5.Viral Infection Studies have found that hepatitis B and C virus is related to liver cancer.

6.Parasitic Infection - Parasitic infection increased the risk of bladder cancer.

7.Others- Many environmental factors such as sunlight, radiation, air and water pollution, medications and pesticides are also considered to be the causative agent of cancer.

8.Customs, habits and life-styles In India, some customs & habits such as tobacco and betel chewing, spicy foods are the main cause of oral cancer.

Warning symptoms of cancer

» A lump or hard area in the breast
» A change in mole size
» A change in digestive and bowel habits
» A persistent cough with blood
» Excessive loss of blood during menstruation
» Unexplained weight loss

Prevention and Treatment of Cancer

» Complete Avoidance of tobacco intake
» Reduce intake of alcohol
» Junk foods and preserved foods should be avoided. Healthy food habits such as eating fresh fruits and vegetables should be encouraged Food containing high dietary fibre such as whole cereals, pulses should be consumed daily

A checklist for lifestyle diseases

Check for these symptoms of diabetes

1.Increased thirst (polydipsia)
2.Increased urination (polyuria)
3.increased hunger (polyphagia)
4.progressive weight loss
5.Slow healing of cuts and wounds.

» Check for these symptoms of CHD

1. Chest pain on exertion
2. Apprehension
3. Palpitation & sweating

*Check for these symptoms of Hypertension

1.Headache
2.Palpitation
3.Breathlessness on exertion

*Check for these symptoms of stroke

1.Severe headache
2.vomiting
3.weakness of body parts

»Check for these symptoms of cancer

Oral

Non-healing ulcer in the mouth

Weight loss

Lung cancer
Persistent cough with blood
unexplained weight loss

Breast Cancer
» Pain in the breast with lump
» Milk discharge with blood

Uterine cancer
» Irregular increased bleeding from vagina

Stomach cancer
» Pain in the upper part of the abdomen
» Vomiting
» Anaemia
» Loss of appetite

Tips For a Healthy Lifestyle
.
1.Consume daily whole gain cereals, pulses and flour (with bran/choker)

2.Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables daily.

3.Consume refined vegetable oils

4.Reduce the intake of refined sugars and carbohydrates.

5.Reduce the intake of junk and fatty foods like pizza, burgers, French fries and other processed foods.

6.Reduce intake of aerated soft drinks and colas, instead consume fresh lime water, coconut water, l4ssi, buttermilk etc.

» Quit smoking

» Quit chewing of tobacco, paan masala and supari

*Avoid alcohol

*Exercise regularly for at-least half an hour daily.

»Maintain peaçe and harmony at place of work and at home.

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Milan Tomic

Hi. I’m Designer of Blog Magic. I’m CEO/Founder of ThemeXpose. I’m Creative Art Director, Web Designer, UI/UX Designer, Interaction Designer, Industrial Designer, Web Developer, Business Enthusiast, StartUp Enthusiast, Speaker, Writer and Photographer. Inspired to make things looks better.

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