A non-communicable disease is one that cannot be passed from one person to another. It is not caused by a pathogen such as a bacterium or a virus, so you cannot catch it.
Most non-communicable diseases are caused by the interaction of a number of factors, not by one single cause. The factors include genetic factors (such as inherited genes), lifestyle factors (such as diet, exercise, smoking and alcohol) and the environment (such as air pollution or contact with harmful substances). Someone who inherits a higher risk of heart disease and also smokes has a higher risk than someone with only one of these factors.
Examples are cardiovascular diseases (diseases of the heart and blood vessels), many forms of cancer, some lung diseases and liver diseases, and diseases influenced by nutrition, such as type 2 diabetes.