Lifestyle and health - AQA SynergyHealth and disease

Health is the state of physical, mental and social well-being. It is not just being free from disease.

Factors can work together to affect physical and mental health. Diseases stop part of the body from working properly. A disease is a disorder that affects an organism's body, organs, tissues or cells.

Diseases can be grouped into two types:

• communicable, which are caused by pathogens and can be transferred from one person to another, or from one organism to another, eg in humans, these include measles, food poisoning and malaria
• non-communicable, which are not transferred between people or other organisms

Non-communicable diseases include:

• cancer
• diabetes
• genetic diseases and conditions
• heart disease
• neurological disorders

Non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, are the leading causes of death in the world.

Other factors that can have major effects on physical and mental health include:

• diet
• lifestyle factors such as alcohol and other drugs
• stress
• situations that may occur in a person's life