risk factor

medicine

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

A risk factor is anything that increases the likelihood of developing a disease or susceptibility to harm. In medicine, particularly concerning cardiovascular disease, key risk factors include cigarette smoking, high blood pressure (hypertension), and elevated cholesterol levels. While these are significant, they are not present in all individuals who experience heart attacks.123

Other contributing factors can include a family history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and inherited conditions like familial hypercholesterolemia. The accumulation of fat in the abdominal region also poses a greater risk than fat stored elsewhere. Preventive medicine aims to reduce the risk of disease, disability, and death through various public health efforts.234

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

4 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

nutritional disease
Diet and chronic disease
The concept of “risk factors” has been part of the public vocabulary for several decades, ever since the landmark Framingham Heart Study, begun in 1948, first reported in the early 1960s that cigarette smoking, elevated blood cholesterol, and high blood pressure were predictors of one’s likelihood of dying…
Read More
The concept of “risk factors” has been part of the public vocabulary for several decades, ever since the landmark Framingham Heart Study, begun in 1948, first reported in the early 1960s that cigarette smoking, elevated blood cholesterol, and high blood pressure were predictors of one’s likelihood of dying…
Read More