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Risk Factors
Tutorial Part 2: Risk Factors
In the second part of the tutorial we will look at risk factors for disease. Risk factors are smoking, poor nutrition, obesity and high blood pressure. We will also discuss how patient navigators can reduce the problem of chronic disease.
What is a risk factor? Something that increases the chance of disease.
A risk factor is a trait or behavior that makes it more likely to have a disease. People who smoke, for example, are more likely to get lung cancer, so smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer. Older people are more likely to get diabetes, so age is a risk factor for diabetes.
Are most chronic diseases preventable? Yes, by controlling risk factors.
One way to prevent chronic disease is to control risk factors. Each risk factor can be linked to more than one chronic disease. Smoking, for example can lead to heart disease, cancer or lung disease.
We can control some risk factors, but not others.
| Risk factors we can control: | Risk factors we cannot control: |
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Other risk factors we can control are:
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
Let’s examine each risk factor. >>>
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