Risk factors for non-communicable diseases

• Risk factors are aspects of a person’s lifestyle, or substances present in a person’s body or environment, that have been shown to be linked to an increased rate of a disease. For some a causal mechanism has been proven.
• Examples are: • the effects of diet, smoking and exercise on cardiovascular disease • obesity as a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes • the effect of alcohol on liver and brain function • the effect of smoking on lung disease and lung cancer • the effects of smoking and alcohol on unborn babies • carcinogens and ionising radiation as risk factors in cancer