EG3246 Spatial Science & Health

1. EG3246Spatial Science & Health Emerging diseases

2. Topics • What are emerging diseases? • Obesity • Diabetes • Sexually transmitted diseases • Alcohol related illness • Allergies, drugs, car accidents, smoking etc • New Assignment

3. What are Emerging Diseases? • Sometimes known as “lifestyle diseases” • Epidemiology of such diseases is altered in response to individual choice • Historically, these diseases have always been present – but to a much lesser extent • Change in prevalence largely due to enhancement of genetic and environmental risk (and increased exposure)

4. What are Emerging Diseases? • Many of these diseases are a result of greater economic success and affluence in western societies • Changes in agriculture have made food far cheaper and more readily available • Unfortunately, modern industrial processes for both food production and household goods have increased exposure to chemicals

5. Obesity • Probably the easiest problem to understand • Access to cheap food • Increase in “fast food” high in fat and sugar • High sugar soft drinks sold at schools • Decline in physical activity • Use of public transport • Car ownership • Change in “school run”

6. Obesity • Many of the problems are directly linked • McDonalds burgers are relatively expensive but are used by “lazy” or wealthy parents to feed children • McDonalds burgers are very high in refined sugars and fats • Fats and sugers that are refined reduce the need for our bodies to refine and process

7. Obesity • Process of digestion uses fewer calories to process and allows fat to be stored more rapidly • Children are getting obese and this has serious implications for their health later in life • Use of TV by children and adults also reduces likelihood of exercise being undertaken

11. Diabetes • Diabetes insipidus (DI) – a relatively rare form of diabetes caused by a deficiency of vasopressin from the pituitary gland • Diabetes mellitus (DM) - a more common metabolic condition where blood sugars may be too high or too low • Pancreas may stop producing enough insulin that regulates blood glucose

12. Diabetes • There is currently no cure for DM but self-injection of “humulin” or “mixtard” insulin in response to careful blood sugar monitoring for “type 1” diabetics (insulin dependent) • There are each year an estimated 14.2 new cases of this type of diabetes per 100,000 children aged under 15 • DM may also be controlled by diet and changes to lifestyle – “type 2” diabetes

13. Diabetes • There appears to be a strong association between lack of exercise, obesity and a resulting risk of developing type 2 diabetes • For this reason, type 2 DM is most prevalent in “western” economically developed contries • More than 2M people in UK have diabetes

14. Islets of Langerhans pancreas cell section through pancreas of patient with diabetes mellitus Image source: Bergman (2006) and Michler (2006)

15. Sexually Transmitted Diseases • STDs are one of the few emerging diseases that are not stricly related to economic wealth (love is free!!!!) • Most STDs are really lifestyle diseases rather than emerging diseases – many STDs were caught and spread by amorous sailors from European colonial powers visiting islands and previously unchartered lands

16. Sexually Transmitted Diseases • What we might term as “emerging diseases” are those STDs which are relatively new and for which there is no cure – principally HIV • Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a retrovirus • HIV leads to a clinical condition known as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) which may take a decade to develop

17. Sexually Transmitted Diseases • HIV was isolated in 1983 and was often linked to mainly homosexual activity – paticularly in the Los Angeles and San Francisco regions of the US • It has claimed a number of high profile people (actors and scientists) who have been active in raising public awareness

18. Sexually Transmitted Diseases • In fact, HIV is known to be transmitted through unprotected heterosexual activity, blood transfusions and medical procedures where hygiene rules are ignored • Once HIV develops into AIDS the result is a progressive decline in immune status. Cause of death may be a common cold or septicaemia from cut

19. Sexually Transmitted Diseases • HIV is believed to have resulted from a “crosing over” from a known animal disease affecting chimpanzees – Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) • Two main types of HIV • HIV-1 most prevalent in western societies • HIV-1 & HIV-2 found mainly in Africa • HIV-2 is less aggressive form

20. Sexually Transmitted Diseases • HIV-1 sub-types (known as “clades”) are very strongly associated with geography and vary from country to country • Epidemiology of all STDs in human society is usually a direct result of: • Social and moral beliefs • Urbanisation and household occupancy patterns • Religious belief

22. Alcohol related illness • Alcohol abuse has seen a resurgence in recent years • Around the middle of the 19th century it was quite common for people of all ages to be habitual gin drinkers – mostly the working classes • Alcohol consumption declined during the 20th century – until the last few decades

23. Alcohol related illness • Innovations by breweries have led to alcohol consumption to increase – particularly amongst the young • Slick advertising, bulk buy deals and especially “alcopops” and vodka based drinks have allowed more wealthy youngsters to imbibe on a regular basis • It is essentially a legal form of drug abuse

24. Alcohol related illness • Long term effects of alcohol abuse include • Serious mental health problems • Loss of libido, erectile dysfunction and sterility • Damage to heart walls and arterial hardening • Liver damage • Premature facial scarring (strawberry nose) • Cognitive and motor function impairment • Social exclusion, depression and suicide

25. Alcohol related illness • In addition to the ill effects for the individual other notable effects include • Violence and physical injuries (falling over) • Domestic violence • Drink-driving or work-related accidents operating machinery

30. The rest…. • Allergies • food alergies and certain textiles • Car accidents • Drugs • Asthma • not really fully understood • Stress • Smoking