Risk Factors of CVD Flashcards
What is risk
The probability of occurrence of some unwanted event or outcome
Six reasons why people overestimate the risk of something happening
-involuntary
-unnatural
-unfamiliar
-dreaded
-unfair
-very small
What are risk factors
Things that increase the chance of the harmful outcome
When is there a correlation between two variables
When a change in one variable is accompanied by a change in the other
What is a positive correlation
When an increase in one variable is accompanied by an increase in the other
What is a negative correlation
When the value for one variable increases, the value for the other decreases
When are two variables causally linked
When a change in one variable is responsible for a change in the other
Null hypothesis
A hypothesis stating there will be no difference between an experimental and control group
What are cohort studies
Ones that follow a large group of people over time to see who develops the disease and who does not. Prospective as at the start of the study none of the pps have the disease. People’s exposure to suspected risk factors and whether they develop the disease is recorded meaning correlations can be drawn
What are case-control studies
A group of people with a disease are compared with a control group of individuals who do not have the disease, info collected about risk factors they have been exposed to in the past which means can identify factors which may have contributed to development of the disease
What do epidemiologists do
Study patterns in the occurrence of disease to look for correlations between a disease and specific risk factors
Features of a good study
-clearly stated hypothesis, which the design of the study must be appropriate to
-representative sample
-standardised procedure
-reliable and valid method of collecting data
-disease diagnosis must be clearly defined
-large sample=results could not have occurred by chance
-identify and manage control variables
Risk factors of CVD
-high blood pressure
-obesity
-dietary factors:salt, cholesterol
-smoking
-inactivity
-genetic inheritance
Why does risk increase with age
Arteries may become less elastic and more easily damaged
What is basal metabolic rate
Rate of the chemical reactions occurring in the body to support normal cell function
