Public Health and the Risk Factor

A look at how the concept of "risk factor" has influenced public health and preventive medicine, with an emphasis upon the study of heart disease. The greatest revolutions in twentieth century public health and preventive medicine have been the concepts of risk factors and healthy lifestyles as methods of preventing disease. A risk factor is anything that increases the riskof disease in an individual. Lifestyle refers to the individual's personal behaviors with regard to risk factors. Identifyin