risk factors

• risk factor

  • increases risk of a disease
  • correlation not always causation
• diet

  • diet high in saturated fat increases blood cholestrol, higher chance of atheroma forming
  • salt increases blood pressure
• high HP

  • increases risk of damage to artery walls
  • stress, alcohol,poor diet, inactivity= increases BP
• smoking

  • carbon monoxide and haemoglobin in RBCs
  • decreases oxygen carrying capacity= reducing respiration in cells of brain
  • nicotine increases thrombosis as it increases agglutination of platelets
• genetics

  • can inherit allele of high BP or blood cholestrol

  age

  • risk increases with age due to fragile blood vessels ans plaque build up over time

  sex

  • men 3x more likely
  • lower oestrogen