How much do you know about non-communicable diseases (NCDs)?
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| Noncommunicable diseases and risk factors |
Some people may be
thinking communicable diseases cause more deaths than noncommunicable diseases,
but that is not true. The facts will help you know the diseases that are
decimating humanity
- Noncommunicable
diseases kill about 41 million people every year, equivalent to 71% of
deaths in the world.
- Each year, 15 million people between the ages of 30 and 69 die of a NCD; over 85% of these "premature" deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
What are
Noncommunicable diseases? Noncommunicable
diseases (NCDs) are diseases that cannot be passed from one person to another.
They are usually chronic. Examples include cardiovascular diseases (heaert
attacks and stroke), diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases
(such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma). Others include
Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, sickle cell anaemia etc.
What are the risk
factors of NCDs? NCDs
are caused by a combination of genetic, behavioral, environmental and
psychological factors. Behaviours, such as tobacco smoking, lack of physical
activity, unhealthy diet and the harmful use of alcohol, increase the risk of
NCDs. Just for your information:
- Tobacco
accounts for over 7.2 million deaths every year (including from the
effects of exposure to second-hand smoke), and is projected to increase
markedly over the coming years
- 4.1
million annual deaths have been attributed to excess salt/sodium intake.
- More
than half of the 3.3 million annual deaths attributable to alcohol use are
from NCDs, including cancer.
- 1.6
million deaths annually can be attributed to insufficient physical
activity
Also, there are
metabolic risk factors that increase the chances of NCDs. They include:
- raised
blood pressure
- overweight/obesity
- High
blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia ) and
- High
levels of fat in the blood (hyperlipidemia)
Globally, high blood
pressure accounts for 19% of deaths, closely followed by overweight and
obesity, and diabetes.
Who are at risk of
NCDs? People
of all ages, country and language can suffer from NCDs. Although the conditions
are associated more with older age groups, statistics show that 15 million of all deaths
attributed to NCDs occur between the ages of 30 and 69 years.
How can NCDs be
prevented and controlled? To prevent and control NCDs is to
reduce its risk factors. As an individual, you can reduce your own chances of
having NCD by observing the following:
- reduce
your tobacco use,
- reduce
your alcohol consumption,
- eat
healthy meals,
- do
regular physical exercise,
- reduce
fat consumption and
- monitor your blood pressure routinely.
Source: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases
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