Question 1
Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control hypothesized that the salt intake of children is increasing their risk of developing hypertension, similar to that seen in adults (Park, 2012). The study included over six thousand children between the ages of eight and eighteen, a good sample size for statistical analysis. One potential drawback in the design of the study is that it only involved a detailed interview of the children and not an actual measurement of their daily salt intake. However, the results were clear. Children appear to be eating as much salt as an adult every day and the higher their salt intake, the higher their blood pressure. The researchers also correlated the results with obesity. The children who were consuming the most salt were also overweight or obese. The article did not specify how they measured weight or obesity however. Was this part of the original experimental design or just observational? Additional research monitoring salt intake in children needs to be done. A controlled experiment looking at calorie intake, salt intake, weight monitoring, and blood pressure monitoring would help support the hypothesis of the researchers. This could be done by tracking these factors in children over a period of time utilizing a food diary and routine checks on weight and blood pressure.
Question 2
There are many respiratory disorders besides the most common being infections of the respiratory system. Examples of the most common respiratory infections are the common cold (upper respiratory) and pneumonia (lower respiratory). Other possible respiratory disorders include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obstructive lung disease, restrictive lung disease, and tumors in the lungs (“Respiratory Disease,” 2013).
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is caused when alveoli rupture retaining oxygen in the lungs and limits the depth of inhalation. This results in conditions such as asthma and emphysema. Obstructive lung disease is characterized by a restriction of airflow in and out of the lungs, involving the alveoli, bronchi or bronchioles. Obstructive lung disease is seen when there is a stiffening of lung tissue, impeding the airflow in and out of the lungs. An example of obstructive lung disease is infant respiratory distress. Tumors can also occur in the lungs and be either malignant or benign. Tumors in the lungs are usually malignant and result in lung cancer (“Respiratory Disease,” 2013).
Question 3
Diabetes happens when your body cannot control the amount of sugar in your blood. There is a special chemical in your blood called insulin which allows the cells of your body to take up the sugar, called glucose. If cells cannot take the glucose from the blood it is like a car without gas. All cells need glucose to make energy to power the cell. There are two different types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. Type 2 diabetes usually happens when you are an adult and it results in your pancreas (big organ next to your stomach that makes insulin) not producing enough insulin any more. A good diet, exercise, and sometimes medicine can help your pancreas make enough insulin or make the insulin work better. We see type 1 diabetes starts in childhood. This is when insulin stops being produced by the pancreas. People with Type 1 diabetes need to test their blood for the level of blood sugars and they need take shots of insulin.
Question 4
Lung cancer usually happens in people that smoke, but also there are chemicals your grandpa could have breathed in at work that could have caused it. Cancer is caused by cells going crazy. They grow too much or in a place they should not. They get confused. Then the cells form something called a tumor. A tumor can be removed by an operation or with drugs. The important thing is that the doctor finds the cancer early.
The doctors will look at your grandpa’s lung using a really cool camera called a CAT scan. Then they will know better how bad the cancer is. Keep your fingers (and toes) crossed they found the cancer early and they can treat it with an easy operation and drugs. If the cancer has moved to a new home though, your grandpa will need more time in the hospital (“Lung Cancer,” 2013).
References
Lung Cancer. (2013, March 7). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Cite&page=Lung_cancer&id=542599669
Park, A. (2012, Sept. 17). A salty diet is a recipe for high blood pressure in kids too. Time. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/09/17/a-salty-diet-is-a-recipe-for-high-blood-pressure-in-kids/
Respiratory Disease. (2013, February 26). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_disease
Skuban, K. (2010). JDRF What is Diabetes Video for kids! Retrieved from http://vimeo.com/9768817
