risk factor
Hazard-increasing variable
A risk factor is something that increases the likelihood of an undesirable outcome, especially disease or injury.
Smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer; high blood pressure is a risk factor for stroke.
The term is common in medical and epidemiological contexts: Age is a major risk factor for dementia.
Risk factors don't guarantee outcomes—they shift probabilities.
- predispositionInnate tendency toward something
- smokingInhaling burning tobacco
- secondhand smokeAmbient cigarette exhalation others inhale
- binge drinkingRapid excessive alcohol consumption
- sedentary lifestyleHabitual physical inactivity
poor diet · hazard · family history · exposure · modifiable · vulnerability · red flag · cause · profile · genetics · heart disease · threat · age · hereditary · incidence · management · prevalence · occupational hazards
- Genetic Riskgenetic marker, genetic testing, genetic counseling, gene mutation, predisposition
- public healthdisease prevention, immunization, disease control, health education, epidemiology
- strategystrategy, grand strategy, tactics, tactic, tactical
- risk phrasestake a chance, take a gamble, go for broke, roll the dice, go all in
- causescause, root cause, primary cause, underlying cause, origin
- risk managementhedging, hedges, diversification, insurance, reinsurance
risk factorsafety factor
Ratio of strength to load
mitigating factor · safeguard · security · buffer · safety net
risk, factory, factor, risky, factors, risked, manufacture, risks, risking