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Non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), also known as non-infectious diseases, are not passed from person to person. They include conditions like heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes.
NCDs are responsible for approximately 41 million deaths each year—that’s 71% of all deaths globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified four main diseases that are generally considered to be dominant in NCD: cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes. These four diseases accounted for more than 15 million deaths in 2016 alone. There are many risk factors associated with NCDs, including tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and harmful alcohol use.
What is a Non Communicable Disease (NCD)?
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases, are not passed from person to person. They are of long duration and generally slow progression. The four main diseases generally considered to be dominant in NCDs are cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma) and diabetes.
NCDs share common risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol. These risk factors can be prevented or reduced by making healthy choices such as eating a balanced diet, being physically active, quitting smoking and drinking alcohol only in moderation.
Detecting NCDs early – through screening programmes – and treating them effectively can help prevent or delay their progress. Screening tests help to identify people who may have an NCD even before they start showing any symptoms. This allows for early diagnosis and treatment, which can improve the chances of successful management of the disease.
The Four Main Types of NCDs
There are four main types of NCDs: cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes.
Cardiovascular diseases include heart disease and stroke. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and stroke is the fifth leading cause. Cancers include all malignant neoplasms, including cancers of the lung, breast, prostate, colorectal, and skin. Chronic respiratory diseases include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar.
NCDs are responsible for a large burden of death and disability worldwide. In 2008, NCDs were responsible for 63% of all deaths globally—more than 35 million people died from an NCD. Of these deaths, 80% occurred in low- and middle-income countries. In 2010, it is estimated that NCDs will cost the global economy US$47 trillion over the next 20 years.
Risk factors for NCDs include tobacco use, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and harmful use of alcohol. These risk factors are often interrelated and can reinforce each other’s effects on health. For example, smoking increases the risk for developing cardiovascular disease, cancer, COPD, and diabetes; while obesity increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, COPD, and diabetes
The Risk Factors for NCDs
There are many risk factors for non communicable diseases (NCDs). The four main diseases that are generally considered to be dominant in NCDs are cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes.
The most important risk factor for all four of these diseases is smoking. Smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular disease, cancer and chronic respiratory disease. It is also a significant risk factor for diabetes. Other important risk factors include unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol and air pollution.
NCDs are responsible for the majority of deaths worldwide. In 2008, NCDs were responsible for 63% of all deaths globally. This figure is expected to rise to 70% by 2030. The majority of NCD deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
There are many actions that can be taken to prevent or control NCDs. These include: reducing tobacco use, improving diets, increasing physical activity levels, reducing harmful alcohol consumption and improving access to essential medicines and health care services.
How to Prevent NCDs
Non-communicable or non-infectious diseases (NCDs) are a heterogeneous group of conditions that are distinguished from communicable diseases by their non-infectious aetiology. The four main NCDs are generally considered to be cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes. These conditions share a number of common risk factors, including tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.
There are a number of ways to prevent NCDs, and these largely revolve around lifestyle changes. quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly can all help to reduce the risk of developing an NCD. Additionally, maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding exposure to known carcinogens can also help to prevent cancer.
Conclusion
There are a number of non communicable or infectious diseases that can have a significant impact on our health. Four of the main diseases associated with this category are cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. While there are many risk factors associated with these diseases, some of the most common include smoking, obesity, poor diet and lack of exercise. By making lifestyle changes and adopting healthy habits, we can significantly reduce our risk of developing these potentially life-threatening conditions.
