Bi6871 Health Risks

Faculty of Science
spring 2018
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. RNDr. Jiřina Hofmanová, CSc. (lecturer)
prof. RNDr. Alois Kozubík, CSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Alois Kozubík, CSc.
Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: prof. RNDr. Jiřina Hofmanová, CSc.
Supplier department: Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Timetable
Thu 10:00–11:50 D36/215
Prerequisites
Connected with lectures of Physiology of cell systems and Mechanisms of carcinogenesis
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the subject is to acquaint students with the causes of the development of selected disorders and diseases, especially so called civilization diseases, such as cardiovascular, cancer, inflammation, allergies, stress and psychological disorders, including approaches and methods of their research. In particular, the impact of environmental factors on human health with an emphasis on the role of lifestyle, environment and specific nutrients and the use of knowledge in the prevention of diseases. Students will also learn about the existence and regulation of the body as a hierarchical system, essential processes necessary to maintain its normal functions, and factors that may interfere with these functions.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course students should be able to: recognize the most harmful environmental factors and their impacts on human health including possibilities of disease prevention; describe specific dietary factors and their association with etiology of some serious so-called civilization diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, allergies or stress; understand the view of the organism as a hierarchical system and what are the basic processes necessary for maintenance of its homeostasis; interpret and use knowledge of environmental factors influencing human health and of possibilities of disease prevention; explain recent results of epidemiologic and scientific studies of given topic; learn the ability to elaborate and present assigned topic.
Syllabus
  • Causes of initiation and promotion of civilization diseases - genetic predisposition, life style. Type of studies (epidemiological, clinical, and experimental studies, population screening ), occurrence of cancer (in the Czech Republic, in the world).
  • Carcinogenesis - main cancer promotion factors, genetic and non-genetic factors, endogenous factors - the role of hormones.
  • Carcinogenesis and life style (smoking, diet, physical activities).
  • Harmful environmental factors - radiation (ionizing, non-ionizing), chemicals and xenobiotics (heavy metals, aromatic hydrocarbons, PCBs, dioxins, pesticides, drugs etc.).
  • Diet - energy balance, effects of high-glycide and high-fat diets, specific dietary lipids - butyrate, essential fatty acids.
  • Chemoprevention - risk assessment, targets for decrease of risk and mortality, anticancer factors.
  • Prevention, diagnostics and treatment of cancer.
  • Experimental, epidemiologic and clinical studies, population screening, diagnostic markers.
  • Therapy - surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy.
  • Predictive oncology - detection of specific markers, comparison of methods and interpretation of measured parameters, data management and data interpretation - significance of multidimensional statistical analyses, predictive markers.
  • Homeostasis, health and disease - basic terms, short introduction to the theory of systems.
  • Negative and positive feedback - significance for homeostasis, homeostasis on the cell, tissue and system levels.
  • Organism as hierarchic system, cooperation of nervous, endocrine and humoral systems.
  • Causes of cardiovascular diseases.
  • Causes of allergy and inflammation.
  • Stress - causes and consequences.
  • Prevention of functional damage and diseases vs. therapeutic possibilities.
Literature
    recommended literature
  • Food and Health in Europe: a new basis for action, WHO Regional Publications European Series, No. 96, 2006
  • Wilhelm Z. a kol., Výživa v onkologii, (Nutrition in oncology) Brno 2004
  • ZADÁK, Zdeněk. Výživa v intenzivní péči. 2. rozš. a aktualiz. vyd. Praha: Grada, 2009, 542 s. ISBN 9788024728445. info
  • FOŘT, Petr. Co jíme a pijeme? Výživa pro 3. tisícitletí. (What we eat and drink? Nutrition for 3rd millenium) 1. vyd. Praha: Olympia, 2003. 246 s. ISBN 80-7033-814-8.
  • Jak vzdorovat rakovině. (How to resist cancer) Edited by Olga Dostálová. [1. vyd.]. Praha: Grada-Avicenum, 1993. 205 s. ISBN 80-7169-040-6.
  • Free radicals, aging, and degenerative diseases (Eds. J. E. Johnson, Jr., R. Walford, D. Harman, J. Miquel), Alan. R. Liss, Inc., New York 1986
  • Speciální vybraná reviews a vědecké články (Thematic reviews and research papers)
Teaching methods
Basic lectures by teachers and associated discussion. Study of own selected research topic and its presentation with class discussion.
Assessment methods
Attendance of the lectures is not mandatory but recommended for understanding the topics, discussion with other students and creating and expression student's own opinion. Prerequisite for the course completion is preparation of about 10 min presentation for class colleagues and discussion of assigned topic. The final examination is based on written exam evaluated by the teacher. Students must answer minimally 6 from 10 questions covering the topics presented in the lectures.
Language of instruction
Czech
Follow-Up Courses
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Na předmět se vztahuje povinnost registrace, bez registrace může být znemožněn zápis předmětu!
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2008 - for the purpose of the accreditation, Spring 2011 - only for the accreditation, Spring 2003, Spring 2004, Spring 2005, Spring 2006, Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, spring 2012 - acreditation, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (spring 2018, recent)
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