Causes of non-communicable diseasesSpec 5.23
Many non-communicable diseases are caused by the interaction of a number of factors. No single factor usually explains why one person gets the disease and another does not.
| Type of disease | Examples of factors involved |
|---|---|
| Cardiovascular disease | Diet, lack of exercise, smoking, alcohol, inherited factors |
| Many forms of cancer | Smoking, harmful radiation, certain chemicals, inherited factors |
| Some lung diseases | Smoking, air pollution |
| Some liver diseases | Drinking too much alcohol |
| Diseases influenced by nutrition | Too much or too little of certain foods; obesity and malnutrition |
Factors can be lifestyle (what a person chooses to do), environmental (what a person is exposed to) or inherited (passed on in genes). Having several of these together increases the chance of disease more than having one alone.