Lifestyle Choices & Medical Conditions (WJEC GCSE Biology: Combined Science)

• Lifestyle choices are conscious decisions that an individual makes that may increase or decrease the risk of disease
• Examples of lifestyle choices include:
  • Consumption of alcohol
  • Partaking in smoking cigarettes
  • Diet 
  • Amount of exercise 

Alcohol and drug abuse

• The intake of alcohol and other drugs can affect chemical processes within the body
  • Alcohol is a poisonous substance that changes various processes in the body such as reaction time which is generally lowered after consuming alcohol due to the effects on the nervous system
  • Other effects of alcohol consumption include slurred speech, loss of balance, loss of inhibitions, aggressive behaviour and blurred vision
  • Individuals who consume alcohol can become alcohol dependent and addicted to alcohol 
  • Withdrawal symptoms can occur in individuals who have become addicted to alcohol and try to give it up; symptoms include headaches, depression and body tremors
  • Long-term effects of alcohol abuse have been linked to
    
    • liver disease such as cirrhosis of the liver due to toxic waste products from the breakdown of alcohol in the liver; the liver is the primary site for drug metabolism
    • cancers such as mouth cancer as toxic products can damage DNA and cause cancerous cell mutations
    • circulatory and heart diseases as alcohol increases blood pressure
  • Drugs can either be legal medicinal drugs or illegal recreational drugs - both of which affect chemical processes within the body
  • All drugs can be harmful if misused and overused
  • Misuse of drugs includes drugs taken to boost sporting performances and illegal drugs such as ecstasy, cocaine and heroin

Consumption of alcohol diagram

Consuming alcohol can lead to health issues such as cancers, liver and heart disease

Type 2 diabetes and lifestyle

• Type 2 diabetes occurs when a person's cells stop responding to insulin which is released from the pancreas
• Glucose can build up in the blood which can be harmful
• There are links between the incidence of type 2 diabetes and lifestyle, particularly poor diet and lack of exercise which can increase the chances of developing type 2 diabetes; obesity is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes

Poor diet lifestyle choice diagram

Consumption of a poor diet can contribute to obesity which is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes