Risk factors and causal mechanisms

• Factors work together and affect physical and mental health
• A disease is a disorder that affects an organism's body, organs, tissues or cells
• Part of Biology (Single Science)
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• In this guide
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• Different types of disease
• Cancer and carcinogens
• Risk factors and causal mechanisms
• Smoking and cardiovascular disease
• Effects of alcohol on organs and unborn babies
• Cardiovasucular disease and type 2 diabetes
• The principles of sampling
• Data Line graphs
• Frequency of disease
• Scatter diagrams
• If there is a correlation between a particular factor and an outcome, it does not mean that the factor necessarily causes the outcome
• Scientists must look for a possible mechanism by which the factor could be the likely cause
• In the case of lung cancer, analyses of cigarette smoke have shown that at least 70 of the chemicals present in smoke will cause cancer in laboratory animals which establishes a causal link