What is a risk factor?
A risk factor is anything that increases your chance of developing a disease. High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. Other risk factors include age, heredity, diabetes, being overweight, smoking, high blood pressure and not getting enough exercise. High triglycerides (trī-glis-er-īdes) and low good cholesterol also contribute to your risk of heart disease. If you have high cholesterol and you also have other risk factors for heart disease, your risk for heart attack and stroke increases. It’s important to know all your risk factors for heart disease, so you can take steps to manage the risk factors you can change.
Related Questions
- I would like to use HeartScore® with patients who suffer from diabetes; however, HeartScore® does not include diabetes as an independent risk factor. How do I accommodate these patients?
- Is induced abortion with misoprostol a risk factor for late abortion or preterm delivery in subsequent pregnancies?
- Is metabolic syndrome a risk factor for colorectal adenoma?
