Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) cannot be passed between individuals and include injuries and congenital anomalies. Incidence of NCDs is equal to that of communicable diseases worldwide. Developing countries are more susceptible to contagious diseases due to lack of measures, while developed countries have higher rates of NCDs due to longer lifespans and lifestyle choices. NCDs can have genetic components and lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of disease. Some NCDs have gray areas, such as cervical cancer caused by a transmissible virus. Obesity and some eating disorders can be socially encouraged.
A NCD is noncommunicable, which means it cannot pass – or communicate – between individuals. The term “disease” can be defined as any disorder of the body or impairment of its functioning. This means that types of NCDs include injuries and congenital anomalies. Classic examples of these diseases are cancer, cardiovascular disease, mental health disorders and respiratory system dysfunctions.
Different estimates of the worldwide incidence of noncommunicable diseases show that it is approximately equal to statistics on the incidence of communicable diseases. In some parts of the world, contagious diseases are more common. Developing countries are likely to have this pattern because they may lack measures, such as sources of clean water, that minimize the spread of infectious diseases. In these environments, outbreaks of major communicable diseases occur with greater regularity and can have serious repercussions on population levels.
Conversely, equal or at least high rates of NCDs are more likely to occur in developed countries. People with longer lives are at a higher risk of developing age-related diseases. For example, prostate cancer generally occurs in older men. Diseases such as heart disease and dementia also have a greater impact in older populations.
Also, older people are prone to more non-communicable diseases due to early life choices. Some of these choices might include drinking excessively, engaging in unsafe sexual behavior, overeating, and smoking. Some lifestyle choices, however, can reduce the risk of disease; for example, having children early and breastfeeding them can reduce the risk of breast cancer.
The types and characteristics of noncommunicable diseases can vary. Many diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, or some autoimmune conditions, have been around for a long time and can get progressively worse. A person’s susceptibility to noncommunicable disorders may have genetic components, as is the case with some cancers of the reproductive tract, some mental illnesses, and many birth defects.
Diseases classified as noncommunicable diseases are often clearly delineated from contagious disorders. No one “catch” a wound or contract a birth defect from someone else. These diseases are or are not present and cannot be passed on to other people.
In other cases, the NCD definition has some known gray areas. Diseases such as cervical cancer cannot be passed on to others, but are often caused by an infection with transmissible forms of the human papillomavirus. Postherpetic neuralgia is not contagious, but it is a complication of shingles, which is the body’s reaction to the chickenpox infection many years before.
Another ambiguous area concerns lifestyle-attributed diseases. Obesity is thought to be ‘contagious’ to family members and close friends because shared eating or leisure habits can support weight gain. Illnesses such as alcoholism and some eating disorders can be socially encouraged among certain population groups. Occasionally, suicides, especially of children and young adults, come in waves and are influenced by each other.
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