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Causes of non-communicable diseases. Non-communicable diseases

The concept of “major non-communicable diseases” is relatively new and reflects the changing picture of human morbidity during the development of civilization and innovations occurring in the sphere of human activity. Advances in medicine in the treatment of widespread infectious diseases and education of the population in measures to prevent them have reduced mortality. At the same time, the incidence and mortality of people from non-communicable diseases has increased.

TO major non-communicable diseases primarily include:

diseases of the circulatory system (for example, coronary heart disease, characterized by disturbances in the functioning of the heart, and hypertension, a disease with a persistent increase in blood pressure);
malignant formations (cancer).

When analyzing the causes of mortality in Russia, there is a clear trend towards an increase in mortality from non-communicable diseases, which account for more than 80% of cases, including diseases of the circulatory system - more than 53%, and malignant tumors - about 18%.

Remember!
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the main indicator of population health is life expectancy.

Statistics
Currently, the life expectancy of the Russian population is significantly lower than in developed countries of the world. Thus, according to data for 1994, the average life expectancy of the Russian population was 57.7 years for men and 71.3 years for women. According to long-term forecasts, it will remain close to this level. Thus, for men born in 2006, the average life expectancy will be 60.4 years, for women - 73.2 years. For comparison: the average life expectancy of the population of the USA and England is 75 years, Canada - 76 years, Sweden - 78 years, Japan - 79 years.

Everyone should know this

The main cause of non-communicable diseases is non-compliance with healthy lifestyle standards. Among the main reasons are:

high level of load on the nervous system, stress;
low physical activity;
poor nutrition;
smoking, drinking alcohol and drugs.

According to medical statistics, all these factors contribute to a reduction in human life expectancy.

Smoking reduces the life expectancy of a smoker by an average of 8 years, regular consumption of alcoholic beverages - by 10 years, poor nutrition (systematic overeating, abuse of fatty foods, insufficient intake of vitamins and microelements, etc.) - by 10 years, poor physical activity - by 6 -9 years, stressful situation - for 10 years. This adds up to 47 years. If we take into account that on average a person is given up to 100 years of life by nature, then those who grossly violate all the norms of a healthy lifestyle cannot count on a long prosperous life. In addition, they need to be prepared to spend a lot of effort on treating non-communicable diseases.

A person’s lifestyle is one of the main factors influencing the preservation and promotion of health, it accounts for 50% among other factors (heredity - 20%, environment - 20%, medical care - 10%). Unlike other factors, lifestyle depends only on a person’s behavior, which means that 50% of your health is in your hands, and personal behavior affects its condition. Therefore, mastering the norms of a healthy lifestyle and forming your own individual system is the most reliable way to prevent the occurrence of non-communicable diseases.

When creating a healthy lifestyle, it is necessary to take into account a number of individual factors. This is primarily heredity, i.e., characteristics of physical development, certain inclinations, predisposition to certain diseases and other factors that were passed on to you from your parents. It is also necessary to take into account environmental factors (ecological, household, family, etc.), as well as a number of others that determine your ability to realize your plans and desires.

It should be noted that life requires each person to be able to adapt to a constantly changing environment and regulate their behavior in accordance with it. Every day presents us with new problems that need to be solved. All this is associated with certain emotional stress and the emergence of a state of tension. They appear in humans under the influence of strong external influences. The state of tension that arises as a response to external influences is called stress.

Each person has their own optimal level of stress. Within these limits, stress is mentally beneficial. It adds interest to life, helps you think faster and act more intensely, feel useful and valuable, with a certain meaning in life and specific goals to strive for. When stress exceeds the optimal level, it depletes the mental capabilities of the individual and disrupts human activity.

It has been noted that severe stress is one of the main causes of non-infectious diseases, as it disrupts the functioning of the body’s immune systems and leads to an increased risk of various diseases (stomach and duodenal ulcers, as well as diseases of the circulatory system). Thus, the ability to manage your emotions, resist the effects of severe stress, develop emotional stability and psychological balance in behavior in various life situations is the best prevention of the occurrence of non-communicable diseases.

Note that different people react to external irritation in different ways, but nevertheless, there are general directions for dealing with stress that ensure psychological balance, that is, the ability to contain stress at an optimal level.

Let's list some of them. The fight against stress begins with developing the belief that you alone are responsible for your spiritual and physical well-being. Be optimistic, because the source of stress is not the events themselves, but your correct perception of them.

Exercise and play sports regularly. Physical exercise has a positive effect not only on the physical state, but also on the psyche. Constant physical activity promotes psychological balance and self-confidence. Physical exercise is one of the best ways to overcome severe stress.

Set yourself feasible tasks. Look at things realistically, don't expect too much from yourself. Understand the limits of your capabilities, do not take on an unbearable burden in life. Learn to say a firm “no” if you are unable to complete a task.

Learn to enjoy life, enjoy the work itself, how well you do it, and not just what it will give you.

Eat right. Get enough sleep. Sleep plays a very important role in coping with stress and maintaining health.

Attention!
The ability to manage your emotions and maintain psychological balance in any life situations will provide you with a good mood, high performance, respect from the people around you, and therefore spiritual, physical and social well-being, which will significantly reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases.

Questions

What diseases are the main non-communicable diseases?
What factors contribute to the emergence of major non-communicable diseases?
What role does a person’s lifestyle play in the prevention of major non-communicable diseases?
What is stress and what effect does it have on human health?
What measures in a person’s lifestyle help reduce severe stress to an optimal level?

Exercise

Analyze what factors cause you strong emotional stress in everyday life. Make changes to your daily lifestyle to reduce the impact on your condition and increase your confidence in your abilities.

Question 1: The relationship between health and a healthy lifestyle. Risk factors for major non-communicable and infectious diseases.

Attitudes towards health are determined by objective circumstances, including upbringing and training. It manifests itself in the actions and deeds, opinions and judgments of people regarding factors affecting their physical and mental well-being. By differentiating attitudes towards health into adequate (reasonable) and inadequate (careless), we thereby conditionally identify two diametrically opposed types of human behavior in relation to factors that contribute to or threaten people’s health.

Every person wants to be healthy. However, even in a situation of illness, people often behave inappropriately to their condition, not to mention the fact that in the absence of illness they do not always comply with sanitary and hygienic requirements. Obviously, the reason for the discrepancy between the need for health and its actual daily implementation by a person is that health is usually perceived by people as something unconditionally given, as a taken-for-granted fact, the need for which, although recognized, is, like oxygen, felt only in the situation of its deficit. The more adequate a person’s attitude to health, the more intense the care for him.

It makes sense to distinguish two types of orientation (attitudes) to health. The first - in health care, is focused primarily on the efforts of the person himself, or conditionally “on himself”. The second is predominantly “outside”, when human efforts are given a secondary role. The first type consists mainly of people with good self-assessed health; They are predominantly internals, characterized by a tendency to attribute responsibility for the results of their activities to their own efforts and abilities. The second type includes persons predominantly with poor and satisfactory self-assessment of health, externalities who attribute responsibility for the results of their activities to external forces and circumstances. Consequently, the nature of a person’s concern for health is associated with his personal properties. It follows that the education of an adequate attitude to health is inextricably linked with the formation of the personality as a whole and involves differences in the content, means and methods of targeted influence.

Main risk factors for non-communicable diseases

The main risk factors for non-communicable diseases that increase the likelihood of deterioration in the health of the population, the occurrence and development of diseases

Many non-communicable diseases have common risk factors, such as smoking, excess body weight, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, alcohol and drug use, low physical activity, psychosocial disorders, and environmental problems. The experience of developed countries convincingly demonstrates that the result of vigorous measures to limit the prevalence of risk factors for non-communicable diseases is an increase in the average life expectancy of the population.

Smoking

According to WHO, tobacco smoking is the leading cause of ill health and premature death. Smoking is one of the most significant risk factors leading to the development of diseases such as cardiovascular, respiratory, and some forms of cancer. Up to 90% of all cases of lung cancer, 75% of cases of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and 25% of cases of coronary heart disease are associated with smoking. It is also known that tobacco tar is not the only life-threatening substance inhaled during smoking. Until recently, tobacco smoke contained 500, then 1000 components. According to modern data, the number of these components is 4720, including the most toxic - about 200.

It should be noted that smoking exists in two completely different clinical varieties: in the form of a smoking habit and in the form of tobacco addiction. Those who smoke only out of habit can become non-smokers completely painlessly, without any medical assistance and, over time, completely forget that they smoked. And those who have developed a tobacco addiction, no matter how much they want, cannot give up smoking forever, even if their first days without tobacco go relatively well. Sometimes, even after a long break (several months or even years), they relapse. This means that smoking has left a deep mark on the mechanisms of memory, thinking, mood and metabolic processes of the body. According to available data, out of 100 systematic smokers, only seven smoke as a result of habit, the remaining 93 are sick.

As established by special studies, up to 68% of the smoke of burning tar and the air exhaled by a smoker enters the environment, polluting it with tar, nicotine, ammonia, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, cyanides, aniline, pyridine, dioxins, acrolein, nitrosamines and other harmful substances. If several cigarettes are smoked in an unventilated room, then in one hour a non-smoking person will inhale as many harmful substances as enter the body of a person who has smoked 4-5 cigarettes. While in such a room, a person absorbs the same amount of carbon monoxide as a smoker, and up to 80% of other substances contained in the smoke of a cigarette, cigarette or pipe.

Regular exposure to second-hand smoke increases the risk of fatal heart disease by 2.5 times compared to people who are not exposed to second-hand smoke. Children under 5 years of age are most sensitive to tobacco smoke. Passive smoking contributes to the development of hypovitaminosis in them, leading to loss of appetite and indigestion. Children become restless, sleep poorly, and have a prolonged cough that is difficult to treat, often dry and paroxysmal in nature. During the year they suffer from bronchitis and ARVI 4-8 or more times. Much more often than children of non-smoking parents, they also develop pneumonia.

According to scientists, by getting rid of nicotine addiction, the average life expectancy of earthlings would increase by 4 years. In many countries, economic levers are used to reduce the number of smokers, such as systematically increasing prices for tobacco products. Research by American experts has shown that people who are just starting to smoke, especially teenagers, react most to rising prices. Even a 10% increase in the retail price of cigarettes leads to a reduction in their purchases by more than 20%, and deters many from starting smoking altogether.

The number of smokers is decreasing all over the world, and in Russia their number is 65 million people. Many diseases that Russians acquire are associated with smoking. According to the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia, among middle-aged Russians, mortality due to smoking is 36% for men and 7% for women. More than 270 thousand people die annually from smoking-related causes in the country - more than from AIDS, car accidents, drug addiction and murders combined. Due to increased tobacco consumption, the incidence of lung cancer has increased by 63% over the past 10 years. The prevalence of smoking in Russia among the male population is 70%, among the female population - more than 14%. Every year, 280–290 billion cigarettes are consumed in our country, and the production of tobacco products is steadily growing. Particularly alarming is smoking among teenagers, which is becoming a national disaster. The peak of initiation into smoking occurs at early school age - from 8 to 10 years. Among adolescents aged 15-17 years old – urban residents – an average of 39.1% of boys and 27.5% of girls smoke. Similar indicators for the Krasnodar Territory are lower than the Russian average - 35.7% for boys and 22.5% for girls.

Excess body weight

Almost all countries (both high and low income) have an obesity epidemic, although with large variations between and within countries. In low-income countries, obesity is more common among middle-aged women, people of higher socioeconomic status, and people living in cities. In richer countries, obesity is not only common among middle-aged women, but is also becoming increasingly common among younger adults and among children. It also increasingly affects people of lower socioeconomic status, especially women. As for the differences between urban and rural areas, they are gradually decreasing or even changing places.

Food and foodstuffs have become commodities, produced and sold in a market that has evolved from what was once a predominantly “local market” to an ever-growing global market. Changes in the global food industry are reflected in dietary changes, such as increased consumption of energy-dense foods rich in fat, particularly foods containing saturated fat and low in unrefined carbohydrates. These trends are aggravated by trends in the reduction of physical energy consumption of the population caused by a sedentary lifestyle, in particular, the presence of motor vehicles, the use of household appliances that reduce the labor intensity of working at home, the reduction of jobs that require manual physical labor, and leisure, which is predominantly a pastime that does not associated with physical activity.

As a result of these changes in diet and lifestyle, chronic noncommunicable diseases—including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), high blood pressure and stroke, and some types of cancer—are increasingly causing disability and premature death among people. in developing and newly developed countries, thus representing an additional burden on national health sector budgets that are already burdened with costs.

According to the WHO European Bureau, in most European countries, about 50% of the adult population - both men and women - have a body mass index greater than the desired value (BMI> 25). In Russia, according to monitoring studies conducted in various regions of Russia, overweight is observed in 15-40% of the adult population. Medical statistics presented by the State Healthcare Institution "Medical Information and Analytical Center" of the Department of Health of the Krasnodar Territory indicate a steady increase in indicators for the line "diseases of the endocrine system, nutritional disorders and metabolic disorders." Only at the end of 2005, the increase in indicators was 2.5 for the teenage population (15-17 years old) and 1.55 for the adult population (18 years and older) of the region per 1000 population of this age group. In order to achieve the best possible results in the prevention of chronic diseases, the central role of diet must be fully recognized.

High blood cholesterol

There is a definite relationship between elevated blood cholesterol levels and the development of CVD. According to WHO, a 10% reduction in average cholesterol levels in the population reduces the risk of developing coronary heart disease by 30%. Elevated cholesterol levels, in turn, are determined by excessive consumption of animal fats, especially meat, sausages, fatty dairy products and milk. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia in Russia is very high. Thus, up to 30% of men and 26% of women aged 25-64 years have cholesterol above 250 mg%.

For most people in the world, especially in developing countries, animal products remain a favorite food for their nutritional value and taste. Excessive consumption of animal products in some countries and classes of society may, however, lead to excess consumption of fat. The increase in the amount of fat in diets around the world exceeds the increase in the amount of protein in the same diet.

Nutrition remains one of the most complex and insufficiently studied issues in the field of improving the health of the Russian population. Until recently, in the field of prevention of major non-communicable diseases in Russian healthcare, the point of view was cultivated on nutrition as one of the aspects of treatment, as a type of therapy, medicine. The task of organizing a system for measuring blood cholesterol levels in the population, as well as improving the quality of blood lipid measurements in practical health laboratories with the widespread introduction of internal and external measurement quality control procedures seems extremely urgent. This will enable healthcare planning organizations to objectively assess and monitor the lipid profile of the population and, therefore, guide preventive interventions in the right direction. In addition, this will help to avoid both under- and overestimation of the number of people with hypercholesterolemia and to adequately assess the cost of preventive measures.

The importance of nutrition both for maintaining and promoting health and for preventing diseases is beyond doubt. Most of the data regarding the strength of the relationship between nutrition and chronic pathology have been accumulated in the field of cardiovascular diseases. The most well studied relationships are between diet, plasma lipid levels and the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD), where extensive experimental, clinical and epidemiological material has been accumulated. As a result of these and other studies, by the beginning of the 70s, an opinion had emerged about the negative role of saturated fatty acids (FAs) and the positive role of polyunsaturated FAs.

Studies of the lipid profile and nutritional patterns of the Russian population indicate that almost 60% of the population have blood cholesterol levels exceeding the recommended favorable level (200 mg/dL). 20% of the population has a cholesterol level of 250 mg/dl or more, and 15-16% of men 20-54 years old have a blood cholesterol level exceeding 260 mg/dl.

High blood pressure

Among cardiovascular diseases, arterial hypertension is one of the most common diseases. Its frequency increases with age. Cardiovascular complications of arterial hypertension, primarily cerebral stroke and myocardial infarction, are the main cause of death and disability in the working age population and cause significant socio-economic damage.

Hypertension is one of the main risk factors for the development of cardiovascular complications. However, this risk increases sharply if hypertension is combined with other risk factors for CVD, especially dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and smoking. Therefore, when carrying out a program to control hypertension, it is advisable, in addition to pressure, to try to correct other risk factors. This will then significantly increase the effectiveness of preventing myocardial infarction and stroke. Thus, when assessing the risk of cardiovascular complications in people with hypertension, it is necessary to take into account not only the degree of increase in blood pressure, but also other risk factors, i.e. assess global or total risks based on their magnitude, determine treatment tactics for a particular patient.

In Russia, according to screening studies of the State Scientific Research Center for Preventive Medicine of the Ministry of Health and Social Development, the prevalence of arterial hypertension was: among men of working age from 24 to 40%, among women – 26-38%. In older age groups (50-59 years), this figure among women was 42-56%, and among men 39-53%.

Alcohol consumption

According to WHO experts, the main cause of the demographic crisis in Russia, along with the “collapse of the healthcare system and psychosocial stress,” is excessive alcohol consumption: over the past few years, Russia has become the world leader in alcohol consumption per capita - 13 liters per person per year. year, with the average European figure - 9.8 liters.

In terms of the scale of damage that alcohol consumption leads to, chronic alcoholism, one of the types of diseases associated with addiction, should be put in first place. The prevalence of alcoholism, according to various sources, is 2-20% of the population. And although the difference in indicators largely depends on the difference in evaluation criteria, nevertheless, everyone recognizes the large magnitude of the negative consequences that alcohol leads to. In addition to the direct harm caused by alcohol to direct consumers, its negative impact manifests itself in the form of a secondary problem - a “codependent” environment from among his relatives, who develop neurotic conditions, depression, personality pathology, and psychosomatic suffering. This negatively affects the quality of life of the entire population and creates additional medical and social burdens.

It is reliably known that chronic alcoholism significantly increases mortality due to other causes, in particular, diseases of the cardiovascular system, liver, gastrointestinal tract, domestic and industrial injuries. The overall mortality rate of patients with alcoholism is 2 times higher than in a similar situation, and among the total number of sudden deaths, 18% are associated with drunkenness. In recent years, reports have appeared about the pathogenic role of ethanol in the development of cancer. In experiments on animals, it was proven that ethanol prevents the natural destruction of carcinogenic substances entering the body.

By slowing down the breakdown of certain carcinogenic substances contained in tobacco smoke, an alcoholic significantly aggravates the cancer risk of smoking. Malignant neoplasms of the oral cavity and upper respiratory tract in smokers who abuse alcohol occur, according to our data, 6 times more often than among the general population; Cancer of the esophagus, stomach, and pancreas is more often observed in them. Chronic alcohol intoxication, mediated by neuropsychiatric disorders, plays a special role as a cause of suicide. The development of suicidal tendencies and the risk of suicide in patients with alcoholism is 200 times higher than among the general population.

Of particular concern is the increase in the prevalence of alcohol consumption among teenagers, especially among urban schoolchildren. According to monitoring studies conducted by the Center for Monitoring Bad Habits among Children and Adolescents of the Central Research Institute for Organization and Informatization of Health Care of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, the prevalence of alcohol consumption among urban adolescent schoolchildren aged 15-17 years on average in Russia was 81.4% for boys and 87. 4% for girls. Similar monitoring studies conducted by the State Institution "Center for Medical Prevention of the Department of Health of the Krasnodar Territory" showed that the prevalence of alcohol consumption among Kuban adolescents exceeds the Russian average and is 83.5% for boys, 89.9% for girls per 100 adolescents 15-17 years old .

Drug prevalence

The problem of drug abuse is determined by a complex of negative interrelated factors and events, among which are:

Deep destructive mental and physical consequences from abuse, entailing the impossibility of normal functioning of a person as an individual and as a member of society;

the growing prevalence of drug addiction throughout the world, which is becoming epidemic in many societies and affecting mainly people of working age, youth and adolescents;

Significant social and economic losses associated with the two above-mentioned factors, an increase in crime events, and the destruction of the national gene pool;

the increasing influence of the drug mafia, its penetration into administrative, managerial and economic structures, law enforcement agencies, which entails a situation of anomie (disorganization) of society;

destruction of the attributes of traditional culture, including sanitary ones.

According to specialists from the Russian State Medical University, drug addiction in adolescents, including mental addiction, develops with the first injection of heroin in 55% of cases in boys and in 82% of girls. Over the past 10 years alone, the number of deaths among young people due to drug use in Russia has increased by 42 times.

Low physical activity

Low physical activity or a sedentary lifestyle is an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular and other diseases, including coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and osteoporosis. In physically untrained people, the risk of developing CVD is 2 times higher than in physically active people. The degree of risk for sedentary people is comparable to the relative risk of the three most known factors contributing to the development of CVD: smoking, arterial hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.

For thousands of years of the existence of the biological species “thinking man” on Earth, the only source of its life support was the muscular apparatus. Over the past 100 years, the share of physical labor in supporting human life has decreased by 200 times. This has led to the fact that a modern civilized person spends 500-750 kcal per day on physical work, which is 2-2.5 times less than what is inherent in the human genotype and is necessary for normal life. A healthy person should spend 350-500 kcal of energy daily or 2000-3000 kcal weekly for physiologically justified exercise through health-improving physical education and sports.

Physical activity is an important determinant of body weight. In addition, physical activity and physical fitness (which refers to the ability to perform physical activity) are important modifiers of mortality and morbidity associated with overweight and obesity. There is clear evidence that moderate to vigorous levels of physical fitness are associated with a significantly reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. According to many scientists, a properly constructed system of physical exercises not only preserves active longevity, but also extends life by an average of 6-8 years.

Psychosocial disorders

In primary care practice, there are often cases of psychosocial disorders that aggravate the patient’s physical illnesses and in themselves pose a threat to his health. The most common and basic psychosocial disorder is depressive syndrome. It must be remembered that among patients with depression, 2/3 are prone to suicide attempts, and 10-15% commit suicide. Approximately 30% of all adults experience depression and anxiety at times, which can affect their daily activities. Women are 2-3 times more likely than men to seek help from a primary care physician for depression and anxiety.

Ecological state.

The largest polluter is the transport complex, including road, sea, rail, air and river transport. The increase in emissions from mobile sources is due to an increase in the number of vehicles in use by citizens, including those arriving from other regions of the country, as well as an increase in the scale of cargo transshipment in seaports. Since 2000, the annual increase in the number of vehicles in the region has been about 61 thousand units. The increase in pollutant emissions from vehicles is due not only to their quantity, but also to their technical condition and the quality of the fuel used. Motor transport, being the main source of pollution, together with exhaust gases, emits more than 200 harmful substances into the atmosphere, including hazard classes I-II: carbon oxides, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, benzene, formaldehyde, benzo(a)pyrene. .

The most dangerous environmental pollutants for humans are dioxins, because... There is no lower limit on the harmlessness of dioxins due to their cumulative effect on the natural environment. Dioxins are formed in significant quantities when burning garbage and solid household waste, which accumulate chlorine. The source of its formation due to imperfect technologies are also metallurgical, chemical and other industries.

Swimming in natural reservoirs, sunbathing, walking in the forest, kayaking and much more - all this is associated with a certain risk for humans. But these dangers should not be compared with natural phenomena that destroy material values created by man and threaten the life and health of people. The features of natural phenomena include their suddenness and unpredictability, as well as the short duration of their occurrence at high intensity. Natural natural phenomena do not depend on man, but he does not intentionally contribute to their occurrence and even provokes them, intensifying destructive processes in landscapes (soil erosion, mudflows, dust storms, etc.). The study of natural phenomena that aggravate the environmental safety of the region will make it possible to assess their threat to the lives of people in certain areas, determine their impact on the functioning of individual landscapes and develop protective measures of ecological, technical and environmental-technical types.

Analysis of the prevalence of risk factors for non-communicable diseases indicates the need for targeted preventive measures, the most important of which include hygienic training and education of the population in order to form a healthy lifestyle, expansion and improvement of psychotherapeutic and psychoprophylactic care, normalization of the environmental situation and improvement of environmental measures. World experience shows the high effectiveness of this preventive activity, provided that it is continuous and coordinates the efforts of interested industries and departments.

Non-communicable diseases are non-communicable diseases, the occurrence of which is not associated with an infectious agent. Often a predisposition to them lies in the genes, or they arise under the influence of environmentally harmful substances and as a result of an unhealthy lifestyle, and are the main cause of death in developed countries. In the non-infectious group, cardiovascular diseases and cancer are the most common. The scale of mortality from non-communicable diseases is appalling. This topic was dedicated to a press breakfast initiated by the STADA CIS company (June 2011, Riviera on Podol Hotel; Kyiv) - “Non-communicable diseases: prevalence in Ukraine and the world. Causes and consequences."

NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES - THE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE WORLD AND UKRAINE

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the main cause of mortality in the world is chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCDs), which account for about 60% of the total mortality structure (Fig. 1). These include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, injuries, respiratory diseases, cancer and other chronic diseases.

In Ukraine, as well as in the world, the most common cause of death from CNDs is cardiovascular diseases. These include coronary heart disease, hypertension, cerebrovascular disorders, etc. In most cases, the manifestation of coronary heart disease occurs due to narrowing of the coronary arteries due to atherosclerosis. Coronary atherosclerosis is caused by several factors - heredity, consumption of saturated fats, high blood pressure, smoking, exercise and stress.

In our country, about 500 thousand people die annually due to cardiovascular diseases, and almost 90 thousand from neoplasms. 1 million citizens are registered for diabetes mellitus, but about 2 million more have a latent form of the disease and are diagnosed either by chance or with the development of serious complications.

These numbers are frightening and make you wonder what to do to prevent the disease and protect yourself and your loved ones? After all, it comes suddenly and, unfortunately, each of us can get sick with one of the CNDs. However, the likelihood of such a disease can be significantly reduced by eliminating the causes of their occurrence. This is where difficulties arise...

According to Ivan Glushkov, deputy general director for corporate development of the STADA CIS holding, among the 4 main risk factors for mortality from chronic NCDs are consumption of alcohol, tobacco products, unhealthy diet and low physical activity (Fig. 2). Moreover, the risk factor for death as a result of alcohol consumption should not be underestimated.
In Ukraine, compared to developed countries, the consumption of alcohol and tobacco products is significantly higher, which is steadily growing. This is explained by the low cost of alcohol and tobacco products compared to a number of other developed countries. According to WHO data, Ukraine ranks 5th among all countries in the world in terms of alcohol consumption with an indicator of 15.6 liters of alcoholic beverages per person per year. In general, about 2.5 million people die each year worldwide from causes related to alcohol consumption.

As for smoking, according to a survey conducted as part of the cooperation between the Ukrainian government and WHO, in 2010 the number of daily smokers in Ukraine was 10.2 million people (8.3 million men and 1.9 million women; “Global Survey adult population on tobacco consumption" (GATS)).

The survey also found that more than half (53.2%) of daily smokers smoke 16 or more cigarettes per day. Among men who smoke every day, almost 60% smoke 16 or more cigarettes per day and 14.1% smoke more than 20 cigarettes per day. For comparison, 63.8% of women who smoke smoke less than 11 cigarettes per day.

Bad habits such as smoking and alcohol abuse mainly cause the development of cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death in the world. In general, the structure of mortality in Ukraine is similar to that in developed countries. But in our country the situation with mortality risk factors is significantly different. In developed countries, the consumption of alcohol and tobacco products is much lower and the main cause of CND is poor nutrition. In addition, the situation with the number of obese people throughout the world remains alarming. Globally, obesity is considered the second most common preventable cause of death (after smoking). In Ukraine, the situation is developing in a similar way - the number of people with this disease is increasing.

In developed countries, even though the state provides the population with medicines, the structure of mortality is dominated by NCDs (Fig. 3), and in low-income countries, to which our state belongs, the opposite is true.

all our problems are in ourselves

There is hardly a single smoker or person addicted to alcohol in the modern world who would not be aware of the harmful effects of these bad habits on the human body. However, the attitude of the population towards their own health in Ukraine leaves much to be desired.

WHO decided to clarify this issue several years ago and initiated a survey among Ukrainians in order to obtain information about their idea of a healthy lifestyle. As it turned out, Ukrainians associate a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise, the absence of bad habits and proper nutrition. That is, Ukrainians understand perfectly how to take care of their own health and lead a healthy lifestyle. But at the same time, according to surveyed residents of our country, the main barrier is that maintaining a healthy lifestyle requires a lot of time, money and significant effort.

At the same time, the demonstration of bad habits becomes a lifestyle that our humane society accepts. For example, while tobacco advertising has left television screens, alcohol advertising continues to be broadcast. And advertising of tobacco products is intensifying in other media.

Thus, the opinion is spreading in society that smoking and drinking alcohol have a place in their lives. In other developed countries, authorities are very willing to fight for the health of the nation. For example, in Sweden, thanks to powerful lobbying by the National Health Authority, the Swedish authorities banned smoking in cafes, bars, restaurants and nightclubs. Sweden was one of the first countries to introduce restrictions on the sale of alcohol. And a number of other developed countries are actively fighting for the idea of a healthy lifestyle.

In such countries there is insurance medicine, which is not available in Ukraine. And what’s interesting is that, as a rule, the medical insurance model is based on the introduction of an additional tax on tobacco or alcohol products, and these proceeds are used to provide the population with medicines. Ukrainians are still deprived of such an opportunity. In general, they rarely go to the doctor - often once a year and, which is typical, in the case when health problems have already arisen. Although it is the authoritative opinion of the doctor and the diagnosis of the disease that force the residents of our country to give up bad habits (Fig. 4).

Thus, today in Ukraine there is a significant gap between the declared high value of health and the real attitude of the population towards their own health. As long as the state is calm about the fact that the country has comparatively the lowest prices for tobacco and alcohol products, the population will take advantage of it. Increasing prices for such goods will most likely cause a strong negative reaction from the population, but as a result, the state will preserve the health of the nation and protect it from premature death due to cardiovascular diseases and other chronic diseases.

In Ukraine, the most common cardiovascular pathology is arterial hypertension, which is noted in 30% of the country's adult population.

The leading cause of death in Ukraine and throughout the world is high blood pressure, the head of the representative office of the STADA CIS holding in Ukraine emphasized in his speech. Our state, compared to other countries, continues to occupy a leading position in terms of mortality from cardiovascular diseases. If in the UK the mortality rate from coronary heart disease in 1994–2004. decreased by 42% among men under 65 years of age and by 49% among women of the same age, then in Ukraine it increased by 19% in both populations. Mortality due to cardiovascular diseases in Ukraine reaches 64% and is almost the highest rate in the world (in Europe - 27%). According to statistics, almost 50 thousand cases of myocardial infarction, 100–120 thousand strokes, and over 3,500 cases of congenital heart defects are registered in our country every year.

“The goals of treating cardiovascular diseases are not only to achieve normal blood pressure and prevent complications, but also to maximize and improve the quality of life of patients. This can be achieved by using the highest quality generics with proven effectiveness,” noted S. Dyachenko.

Another “non-communicable epidemic” worldwide is diabetes mellitus, the prevalence and incidence of which continues to increase. According to WHO experts, by 2025 there will be 300 million people with diabetes mellitus in the world, of which more than 90% will be type 2 diabetes mellitus (non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by chronic hyperglycemia, developing as a result of impaired insulin secretion or mechanisms of its interaction with tissue cells).

Ukraine today has one of the highest prevalence rates of diabetes mellitus - 9.8% (compared to the European average - 8.4%). It is predicted that by 2025 the incidence of diabetes mellitus in Ukraine and Europe will increase. The main cause of death in patients with diabetes is cardiovascular complications.

, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Cardiology and Functional Diagnostics of the National Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education named after P.L. Shupika is convinced that a person is the architect of his own happiness and he can independently carry out preventive measures to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. According to her, 9 risk factors determine 90% of the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction. These include high cholesterol, smoking, psychological factors, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, abdominal obesity, alcohol abuse and low consumption of fruits and vegetables. I. Davydova is convinced that if the first 2 factors are eliminated, the risk of developing acute myocardial infarction can be reduced by 66%. Moreover, myocardial infarction occurs more often in smokers than in non-smokers.

The recipe for a healthy lifestyle is simple: increase physical activity (at least 45 minutes of daily walking), limit the consumption of alcohol, sodium, fat and cholesterol, stop smoking, increase the intake of potassium, calcium and magnesium.

what to do and what to do?

The health of each person is not only an individual, but also a social value. Due to the fact that today the demographic curve in Ukraine is steadily creeping down and life expectancy compared to a number of other countries leaves much to be desired, it is extremely important to eliminate the risk factors for mortality that a person can influence independently. The key ones are smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and poor diet - they upset the balance in the body. It is these factors that a person can eliminate on his own.

Everyone wants to be healthy, but, frankly, very often those who want to do nothing to realize their desire. A wise proverb says: “Water does not flow under a lying stone.” A healthy person is someone who leads an active lifestyle, ensures proper and healthy sleep, eats properly and receives a sufficient amount of important substances for life with food, lives in harmony with himself and his family, etc. Preventive measures aimed at preventing diseases and Our hearts demand change! Hospital purchases of medicines in the first quarter. 2011

Lesson summary “Non-communicable diseases typical for the Moscow region”

(based on the regional program “Prevention and control of diseases of a social nature for the period 2008-2011)

Target:

To familiarize students with the main non-communicable diseases, the causes of their occurrence, and their impact on human health.

Questions studied

Major non-communicable diseases and their impact on human health.

The main causes of non-communicable diseases.

General measures for the prevention of non-communicable diseases.

PROGRESS OF THE LESSON

Organizational moment.

Presentation of educational material

The main non-communicable diseases include:

1. arterial hypertension (leads to heart attack, stroke).

It is generally accepted that normal blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg. These numbers are easy to decipher. Systolic pressure is always indicated first; it shows the pressure at the moment of contraction of the ventricles of the heart - that is, when they eject the next portion of blood. In this case, it is equal to 120. Systolic pressure is always higher than the second digit - the value of diastolic pressure, which indicates the blood pressure when the ventricles are relaxed. In our example, diastolic pressure is 80. Measuring blood pressure in millimeters of mercury is a tribute to tradition.

Risk factors:

increase in systolic pressure

increase in blood cholesterol

smoking

Prevention:

First, it should be measured from time to time. At a young age, monitoring blood pressure once a year is enough (if it is normal). If you find that your blood pressure is too low or high and persists for no apparent reason, consult a doctor. Vascular and heart diseases are easy to prevent at an early stage, but not in advanced forms, so don’t waste time.

Secondly, try to reduce the number of factors that contribute to increased blood pressure. Namely, quit smoking (or better yet, don’t start), don’t drink alcohol and psychoactive substances, keep yourself in shape, focusing on aerobic exercise (obesity is another “helper” of hypertension), and limit your consumption of table salt (ideally not you need to add salt to your food in general).

Thirdly, do not forget about proper and nutritious nutrition. According to medical recommendations, to maintain normal blood pressure, you need to eat more vegetables, low-fat dairy products (soy milk is also excellent), foods rich in fiber, and all kinds of grains and cereals. What you definitely need to beware of is food rich in cholesterol and carbohydrates (a typical example is fast food).

2. Diabetes mellitus - is an endocrine disease characterized by a chronic increase in blood sugar levels due to absolute or relative deficiency - pancreatic hormone. The disease leads to disruption of all types of metabolism, vascular damage, , as well as other organs and systems.

Classification

There are:

Insulin-dependent diabetes (type 1 diabetes mellitus) develops mainly in And ;

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes (type 2 diabetes) usually develops in people years of age who are overweight. This is the most common type of disease (occurs in 80-85% of cases);

Secondary (or symptomatic) diabetes mellitus;

Pregnancy diabetes.

Diabetes due to malnutrition

Attype 1 diabetes mellitus there is an absolute deficiency of insulin due to dysfunction .

Attype 2 diabetes mellitus notedrelative insulin deficiency. At the same time, pancreatic cells produce enough insulin (sometimes even an increased amount). However, on the surface of cells, the number of structures that ensure its contact with the cell and help glucose from the blood enter the cell is blocked or reduced. The lack of glucose in the cells is a signal for even more insulin production, but this has no effect, and over time, insulin production decreases significantly.

Reasons

Main reasontype 1 diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune process caused by a malfunction of the immune system, in which the body produces against pancreatic cells, destroying them. The main factor provoking the occurrence of type 1 diabetes is ( , , , (mumps), etc.) against the background of a genetic predisposition to this disease.

Regular intake of dietary supplements containing , increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes...

The main factors provoking the developmenttype 2 diabetes mellitus : and hereditary predisposition:

Obesity. In the presence of obesity I degree. The risk of developing diabetes mellitus increases by 2 times, with stage II. - 5 times, at stage III. - more than 10 times. The development of the disease is more associated with the abdominal form of obesity - when fat is distributed in the abdominal area.

Hereditary predisposition. If you have diabetes mellitus or immediate relatives, the risk of developing the disease increases 2-6 times.

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes develops gradually and is characterized by moderate severity of symptoms.

The reasons for the so-calledsecondary diabetes may be:

pancreatic diseases ( , tumor, resection, etc.);

diseases of hormonal nature

impact or chemicals;

Symptoms of diabetes:

thirst (patients may drink3-5 l or more liquid per day);

frequent urination (both day and night);

dry mouth;

general and muscle weakness;

increased appetite;

itching of the skin (especially in the genital area in women);

drowsiness;

increased fatigue;

poorly healing ;

sudden weight loss in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Diagnosis and treatment

Patients with diabetes must be registered with a doctor. .

Fordiagnostics diabetes mellitus, the following study is performed.

for glucose: on an empty stomach, the glucose content in capillary blood (blood from a finger) is determined.

Cancers

Reasons:

Physical nature - radiation, electromagnetic radiation

Chemical nature - benzopyrene (vehicles, gasoline evaporation, forest fires, garbage burning, tobacco smoking)

Biological nature - viral hepatitis B, HIV infection

Psycho-emotional stress (decreased immunity)

The latent period for cancer development is 10 years.

Prevention:

1. Quit smoking to prevent cancer

In the United States, lung cancer kills more men and women than any other tumor, with 28% of deaths (or 160,000 people) per year attributed to this type of cancer. And in most cases, the tumor occurs due to smoking. However, tobacco abuse is associated not only with lung damage, but also with a dozen other types of cancer. That is why many doctors advise starting cancer prevention with quitting smoking. And if you haven’t started smoking yet, then don’t ever start. Interestingly, you can reduce your risk of cancer by simply reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke per day. A study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that quitting 10 cigarettes a day reduces the risk of developing lung cancer by as much as 27%!

However, you should not naively believe that smoking is not harmful to your health, even if you do not smoke yourself. About 3,000 cases of lung cancer each year are associated with secondhand smoke. It has been scientifically proven that inhaling tobacco smoke increases the risk of other malignant tumors. Imagine that you are in a closed nightclub or bar. There are 100 people smoking around you, and this means that you smoke too, even if you don’t have a cigarette in your hands. If you leave a party and your clothes smell of tobacco smoke, it means that you inhaled a sufficient amount of this poison during the evening.

2. Lose excess weight

Obesity and being overweight are known to have negative effects on the heart. But did you know that it is also a significant risk factor for cancer? Obesity is associated with about 14% of deaths from cancer and more than 3% of new cases of malignant tumors annually.

That's why the American Institute of Cancer Research advises trying to maintain a normal weight for as long as possible. In November 2007, the organization released a report examining the impact of nutrition, food and physical activity on development and. According to this white paper, obesity is associated with a wide variety of cancers, including, pancreas, gallbladder, mammary gland, endometrium and kidneys.

3. More movement

The same expert report also states that a variety of forms of physical activity help prevent the development of many types of cancer. Numerous studies show that just 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day can reduce the risk of cancer by 30-50%. If you have been able to lose weight to an acceptable weight, increase your physical activity and include fruits and vegetables in your diet, then this is equivalent to quitting smoking. Many people simply do not realize the importance of such changes because they consider these moments trivial.

4. Fill your plate with plant-based foods.

Many foods have a preventive effect on cancer. For example, tomatoes, watermelon and other vegetables that contain lycopene have been shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men.

However, if you set out to reduce the likelihood of various malignant tumors, then be prepared to eat plant foods, especially non-starchy vegetables and fruits. Many diets, such as Mediterranean and vegetarian, are based on this principle. It is believed that this type of diet best protects against cancer.

AICR has proposed a "New American Plate" plan that calls for 2/3 of each meal's plate to consist of vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains (breads and cereals). The rest of the plate can be filled with fish, lean meats and low-fat dairy products (such as cheese or cottage cheese).

5. Avoid alcohol

The impact of alcoholic beverages on health is a kind of double-edged sword. There is ample evidence of the beneficial effects of moderate consumption of alcohol, especially red wine, on cardiovascular health. However, on the other hand, alcohol abuse increases the risk of developing cancer. Moreover, the effect is dose-dependent: the more you drink, the higher the risk of developing a malignant tumor, especially of the oral cavity, larynx, esophagus and stomach. When combined with smoking, the risk increases significantly.

What to do? The report from AICR and the American Cancer Society recommends limiting alcohol consumption: women should have no more than one drink per day, and men no more than two drinks. In this case, one dose of alcohol corresponds to 0.5 liters of beer, half a glass of wine (100 ml), a glass of vodka or 30-40 g of whiskey or other strong drink.

6. Get rid of stress

There is no evidence that stress directly affects cancer risk. However, psychological stress can lead to unhealthy habits. After all, there is nothing better than making up for stress with an extra piece of cake, which leads to overeating, a glass of beer or a cigarette. If you become accustomed to coping with stress in this way, your risk of developing cancer increases.

7. Don’t neglect the examination

Many screening methods, such as mammography for breast cancer or prostate-specific antigen testing for prostate cancer, do not themselves prevent cancer. They only identify them at the earliest stages, when treatment is most effective.

Other tests, such as a cervical smear or colonoscopy, can detect precancerous changes. If left unattended, cervical cancer or colon cancer will eventually develop.

To decide which test is right for you, talk to your doctor. Discuss risk factors, family history of cancer, and symptoms that concern you.

8. Get to the roots of your family

Doctors advise their patients to study the history of diseases in the family as carefully as possible. This is how the risk of developing certain diseases that occur in different generations among family members is determined. For example, the next time your family gets together, try to talk as much as possible about family illnesses with everyone present. Of course, this is not a very pleasant topic of conversation at the holiday table, but the information collected will ultimately be useful to everyone.

There are special charts or tables that can be downloaded to a personal computer and used to compile a family history.

Mental illnesses.

Causes of diseases:

Reduction of normal births, deviations during pregnancy

Inadequate socio-economic situation in the country.

Oncological diseases

Arterial hypertension

Schizophrenia may be hidden under the symptoms of neurosis in children.

Prevention of neuroses:

To strengthen the nervous system, the use of physiotherapeutic methods and sanatorium-resort treatment may be indicated. It is important to normalize the work and rest regime. A patient with neurosis should, if possible, avoid both physical and psycho-emotional stress.

Infectious diseases are the most common types of diseases. According to statistics, every person suffers from an infectious disease at least once a year. The reason for such prevalence of these diseases lies in their diversity, high contagiousness and resistance to external factors.

Classification of infectious diseases

A common classification of infectious diseases is based on the method of transmission: airborne, fecal-oral, household, vector-borne, contact, transplacental. Some of the infections may belong to different groups at the same time because they can be transmitted in different ways. Based on location, infectious diseases are divided into 4 groups:

Infectious intestinal diseases in which the pathogen lives and multiplies in the intestines. Diseases in this group include: salmonellosis, typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera, botulism.
Respiratory infections that affect the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs. This is the most common group of infectious diseases, causing epidemic situations every year. This group includes: ARVI, various types of influenza, diphtheria, chickenpox, tonsillitis.
Skin infections transmitted by touch. These include: rabies, tetanus, anthrax, erysipelas.
Blood infections transmitted by insects and through medical procedures. The pathogen lives in the lymph and blood. Blood infections include: typhus, plague, hepatitis B, encephalitis.

Features of infectious diseases

Infectious diseases have common features. These features manifest themselves to varying degrees in different infectious diseases. For example, the contagiousness of chickenpox can reach 90%, and immunity is formed for life, while the contagiousness of ARVI is about 20% and forms short-term immunity. The following features are common to all infectious diseases:

Contagiousness, which can cause epidemic and pandemic situations.
The cyclical course of the disease: incubation period, the appearance of precursors of the disease, the acute period, decline of the disease, recovery.
Common symptoms include fever, general malaise, chills, and headache.
Formation of immune defense against the disease.

Causes of infectious diseases

The main cause of infectious diseases are pathogens: viruses, bacteria, prions and fungi, but not in all cases the entry of a harmful agent leads to the development of the disease. The following factors will be important:

what is the infectiousness of pathogens of infectious diseases;
how many agents entered the body;
what is the toxicogenicity of the microbe;
what is the general condition of the body and the state of the human immune system.

Periods of infectious disease

It takes some time from the time the pathogen enters the body until complete recovery. During this period, a person goes through the following periods of infectious disease:

Incubation period– the interval between the entry of a harmful agent into the body and the beginning of its active action. This period ranges from several hours to several years, but more often it is 2-3 days.
Pre-normal period characterized by the appearance of symptoms and a vague clinical picture.
Period of disease development, during which the symptoms of the disease intensify.
High period, in which the symptoms are most pronounced.
Extinction period– symptoms decrease, condition improves.
Exodus. Often this is recovery - the complete disappearance of signs of the disease. The outcome may be different: transition to a chronic form, death, relapse.

Spread of infectious diseases

Infectious diseases are transmitted in the following ways:

Airborne– when sneezing, coughing, when particles of saliva with a microbe are inhaled by a healthy person. In this way, a massive spread of infectious disease among people occurs.
Fecal-oral– germs are transmitted through contaminated foods and dirty hands.
Subject– transmission of infection occurs through household items, dishes, towels, clothing, and bed linen.
Transmissible– the source of infection is an insect.
Contact– transmission of infection occurs through sexual contact and contaminated blood.
Transplacental– an infected mother transmits the infection to her child in utero.

Diagnosis of infectious diseases

Since the types of infectious diseases are diverse and numerous, to make a correct diagnosis, doctors have to use a complex of clinical and laboratory-instrumental research methods. At the initial stage of diagnosis, an important role is played by collecting anamnesis: history of previous diseases and this one, living and working conditions. After an examination, anamnesis and initial diagnosis, the doctor prescribes a laboratory test. Depending on the suspected diagnosis, this may include various blood tests, cell tests, and skin tests.

Infectious diseases - list

lower respiratory tract infections;
intestinal diseases;
ARVI;
tuberculosis;
hepatitis B;
candidiasis;
toxoplasmosis;
salmonellosis.

Human bacterial diseases - list

Bacterial diseases are transmitted through infected animals, sick people, contaminated foods, objects and water. They are divided into three types:

Intestinal infections. Particularly common in summer. Caused by bacteria of the genus Salmonella, Shigella, and E. coli. Intestinal diseases include: typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, food poisoning, dysentery, escherichiosis, campylobacteriosis.
Respiratory tract infections. They are localized in the respiratory system and can be complications of viral infections: FLU and ARVI. Bacterial infections of the respiratory tract include the following: tonsillitis, tonsillitis, sinusitis, tracheitis, epiglottitis, pneumonia.
Infections of the external integument caused by streptococci and staphylococci. The disease can occur due to harmful bacteria coming into contact with the skin from the outside or due to an imbalance in the skin bacteria. Infections in this group include: impetigo, carbuncles, boils, and erysipelas.

Viral diseases - list

Human viral diseases are highly contagious and widespread. The source of the disease is a virus transmitted from a sick person or animal. Infectious disease agents spread rapidly and can affect people over a vast area, leading to epidemic and pandemic situations. They manifest themselves fully in the autumn-spring period, which is associated with weather conditions and weakened human bodies. The top ten common infections include:

ARVI;
rabies;
chickenpox;
viral hepatitis;
herpes simplex;
infectious mononucleosis;
rubella;

Fungal diseases

Fungal infectious skin diseases are transmitted through direct contact and through contaminated objects and clothing. Most fungal infections have similar symptoms, so a laboratory diagnosis of skin scraping is required to confirm the diagnosis. Common fungal infections include:

candidiasis;
keratomycosis: lichen and trichosporia;
dermatomycosis: mycosis, favus;
: furunculosis, ulcers;
exanthema: papilloma and herpes.

Protozoal diseases

Prion diseases

Among prion diseases, some diseases are infectious. Prions, proteins with an altered structure, enter the body along with contaminated food, through dirty hands, unsterile medical instruments, and contaminated water in reservoirs. Prion infectious diseases in humans are severe infections that are practically untreatable. These include: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, kuru, fatal familial insomnia, Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome. Prion diseases affect the nervous system and brain, leading to dementia.

The most dangerous infections

The most dangerous infectious diseases are diseases in which the chance of recovery is only a fraction of a percent. The five most dangerous infections include:

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or spongiform encephalopathy. This rare prion disease is transmitted from animals to humans, leading to brain damage and death.
HIV. The immunodeficiency virus is not fatal until it has progressed to the next stage - .
Rabies. Cure from the disease is possible with vaccination before symptoms appear. The appearance of symptoms indicates imminent death.
Hemorrhagic fever. This includes a group of tropical infections, some of which are difficult to diagnose and cannot be treated.
Plague. This disease, which once devastated entire countries, is now rare and can be treated with antibiotics. Only some forms of plague are fatal.

Prevention of infectious diseases

Prevention of infectious diseases consists of the following components:

Increasing the body's defenses. The stronger a person’s immunity, the less often he will get sick and the faster he will recover. To do this, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle, eat right, play sports, get plenty of rest, and try to be optimistic. Hardening has a good effect on increasing immunity.
Vaccination. During epidemics, targeted vaccination against a specific rampant disease gives a positive result. Vaccinations against certain infections (measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus) are included in the mandatory vaccination schedule.
Contact protection. It is important to avoid infected people, use personal protective equipment during epidemics, and wash your hands frequently.