What is behind the lifestyle risk factors for head and neck cancer?

Front Psychol

Unit of Cell and Molecular Biology, Dundee Dental School, University of Dundee, Dundee,United Kingdom.

Published: October 2022

Lifestyle factors are known to be influential determinants of health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately one third of deaths involve unhealthy lifestyle habits. Among lifestyle risk factors for head and neck cancers (HNC), alcohol consumption and smoking have an undeniable role in the multifactorial aetiology of the disease. In recent years, the promotion of healthy lifestyle choices has gained significant attention as contributory to improving health and disease prevention. Interventions to tackle these risk factors are vitally important in disease prevention and progression. However, in order to effectively prevent the disease and reduce the risk factors, it is crucial to identify what upstream reasons lead to the adoption of these lifestyle risk factors in the first place. Stress being a constant aspect of modern-day life is known to contribute to alcohol and smoking practices. In this review paper, relevant literature was searched in PubMed database for stress, lifestyle factors, HNC and cancer to explore the role of stress and its associated biological pathways as an upstream factor in the adoption of lifestyle risk factors that cause HNC. It highlights the importance of stress pathways and the Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) axis as a locus of interaction between stress, alcohol, smoking and cancer. Despite their widely accepted harmful effects, alcohol and smoking remain deeply rooted in contemporary life. A greater understanding of the impact of stress on lifestyle choices and an exploration of the mechanisms resulting in stress, alcohol- and smoking- related cancer may highlight opportunities for improved prevention measures through the modification of unhealthy lifestyle choices.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9608174PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.960638DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

risk factors
24
lifestyle risk
16
lifestyle choices
12
alcohol smoking
12
lifestyle
10
factors
8
factors head
8
head neck
8
lifestyle factors
8
unhealthy lifestyle
8

Similar Publications

Epidemiologic Investigation of Protozoa and Soil-Transmitted Helminths in Starr County, Texas.

Am J Trop Med Hyg

January 2025

Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Section of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.

The burden of pathogenic enteric protozoa and soil-transmitted helminths among impoverished populations living on the Texas-Mexico border is unclear. We conducted a cross-sectional study on an ongoing longitudinal cohort of 616 adults residing in Starr County, Texas. A total of 359 adults were screened for four protozoa and five soil-transmitted helminths by using real-time polymerase chain reaction.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

An exploratory survey assessing the determinants of heat stress and heat strain in the Canadian mining industry from the worker's perspective.

J Occup Environ Hyg

January 2025

Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

With mines extending deeper and rising surface temperatures, workers are exposed to hotter environments. This study aimed to characterize heat stress and strain in the Canadian mining industry and evaluate the utility of the Heat Strain Score Index (HSSI), combined with additional self-reported adverse health outcomes. An exploratory web-based survey was conducted among workers ( = 119) in the Canadian mining industry.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Despite the increasing popularity of electronic devices, the longitudinal effects of daily prolonged electronic device usage on brain health and the aging process remain unclear.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the daily use of mobile phones/computers on the brain structure and the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

Methods: We used data from the UK Biobank, a longitudinal population-based cohort study, to analyze the impact of mobile phone use duration, weekly usage time, and playing computer games on the future brain structure and the future risk of various neurodegenerative diseases, including all-cause dementia (ACD), Alzheimer disease (AD), vascular dementia (VD), all-cause parkinsonism (ACP), and Parkinson disease (PD).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is highly prevalent and disabling, especially in agriculture sectors. However, there is a gap in LBP prevention and intervention studies in these physically demanding occupations, and to date, no studies have focused on horticulture workers. Given the challenges of implementing interventions for those working in small businesses, self-management offers an attractive and feasible option to address work-related risk factors and manage LBP.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Large language models (LLMs) are artificial intelligence tools that have the prospect of profoundly changing how we practice all aspects of medicine. Considering the incredible potential of LLMs in medicine and the interest of many health care stakeholders for implementation into routine practice, it is therefore essential that clinicians be aware of the basic risks associated with the use of these models. Namely, a significant risk associated with the use of LLMs is their potential to create hallucinations.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!