Global Risk Factors

3 Managing Global Supply Chains 8.3.1 Global Risk Factors 

Globalization provides companies with opportunities to enter new markets, find better suppliers and take advantage of cheaper labor available in other countries. Inherent in global supply chains is the risk due to disruptions. This was clearly demonstrated by the earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear disaster in Japan in March 2011. Since Japan was a key supplier of electronic components, that go into the production of automobiles, computers, aircrafts and cell phones, companies such as Toyota, Honda, Boeing, GM, Sony, and Apple had to slow down or shut down their factories due to shortage of parts. 

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C. J. L. Murray and A. D. Lopez, eds., The Global Burden of Disease A Comprehensive Assessment of Mortality and Disability from Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors in 1990 and Projected to 2020, Harvard School of Public Health, World Health Organization, and World Bank, Boston 1996. 

Murray CJ. Global mortality, disability, and the contribution of risk factors Global Burden of Disease Study. Lancet 1997 349 1436-1442. 

Alzheimer s disease is the most common form of age-related dementia and one of the most serious health problems in the industrialized world. AD is an insidious and progressive neurodegenerative disorder that accounts for the vast majority of dementia and is characterized by global cognitive decline and the accumulation of P-amyloid deposits and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. Family history is the second greatest risk factor for... 

Traffic is rapidly increasing in all developed countries. In 1998, road traffic injuries were globally estimated to be then ninth leading cause of loss of healthy life and are projected to become the third leading cause by 2020 (1). This increase is associated with a major concern about safety from the traffic authorities. Several risk factors are now well identified (i.e., alcohol, speed) but sleepiness is still a concern in many countries. 

Crenshaw BS, Granger CB, Birnbaum Y, et al. Risk factors, angiographic patterns, and outcomes in patients with ventricular septal defect complicating acute myocardial infarction. GUSTO-1 (Global Utilization of Streptokinase and TPA for Occluded Coronary Arteries) Trial Investigators. Circulation 2000 101(1 ) 27—32. 

Tobacco use is the greatest risk factor affecting the global disease burden in the world," according to the World Health Organization and the Harvard School of Medicine. —... 

Numerous risk factors contribute to the global burden of disease. Genetics, economics, social, lifestyle, and nutritional factors, as well as environmental chemical exposures, play large roles and are discussed in the following sections. 

WHO estimates that over 30% of the global burden of disease can be attributed to environmental factors and that 40% of this burden falls on children under five years of age, who account for only 10% of the world s population (WHO, 2004a). At least three million children under five years of age die annually due to environment-related illnesses. Environmental risk factors act in concert and are exacerbated by adverse social and economic conditions, particularly poverty and malnutrition. 

Maternal fumonisin exposure has been proposed as a potential risk factor for human NTDs among populations consuming large amounts of fumonisin-contaminated maize or maize-based products (Marasas et ah, 2004). Globally, NTDs present a tremendous burden to human populations in rural areas of the world where maize is a dietary staple, and fumonisin contamination is common (Hendricks, 1999 Kromberg and Jenkins, 1982 Marasas et ah, 2004 Melnick and Marazita, 1998 Moore et ah, 1997 ... 

Mannino DM, Buist AS. Global burden of COPD risk factors, prevalence, and future trends. Lancet 2007 370 765-773. 

The World Health Organization estimates that by 2015, the number of overweight people globally will increase to 2.3 billion, and more than 700 million people will be obese. Mayo clinic data indicate that the prevalence of diabetes increased 3.8% every year. The total prevalence of diabetes mellitus in US is expected to more than double from 2005 to 2050 in all age, sex and race groups. Data from the National Diabetes Information Clearing House, states at least 65% of people with diabetes die of some form of heart disease or stroke. Among women with CHD, diabetes is the strongest risk factor for heart failure in US (American Heart Association, 2008, Rosamond et al., 2008). In 2002, the direct... 

Type 2 diabetes causes oxidative stress, and the beneh-cial effects of antioxidants have been proposed. CVD, which accounts for more deaths globally than any other cause of death, is 2 to 4 times higher in type 2 diabetic patients than in nondiabetic subjects. The identification of risk factors that can explain the excess risk for CVD in diabetic patients may improve understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of Athsc and allow the development of new preventive or therapeutic measures. 

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