Risk Factors

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Risk Factor Objectives

Indicate how salt and sugar in processed foods can relate to increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
Distinguish between low density lipoproteins (LDLs) and high density lipoproteins (HDLs).
List three ways cigarette smoking can negatively impact blood vessels.

We have all heard it repeatedly: reduce risk for a variety of diseases by eating a balanced diet, participating in regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and reducing negative stresses. So why are these factors often a lower priority than other things in our lives?

In this section we’ll start talking about risk, and explore information that you can use to make your own daily decisions.

We need dietary salt for proper nervous system functioning and a variety of other cellular tasks. But salt is an example of potentially having too much of a good thing.

Sugar & Lipids

A visual representation os sugar & lipid quantity in foods can be eye-opening.

Hands off my cupcakes!

Why can’t we resist the foods we know can be a problem? Here is a possible strategy.

Chronic Stress is a Risk Factor too.

One of the factors that correlates with cardiovascular disease is chronic (long-term) stress. We’ll have more on forms of stress in the Endocrine Guide, for now this video introduces basic impacts of chronic stress on heart rate and blood pressure.

This is the end of the Cardiovascular Disorders guide. The material from this guide and corresponding lecture, as well as the previous Cardiovascular System guide, is assessed on the weekly quiz.

Check your knowledge. Can you:

indicate how salt and sugar in processed foods can relate to increased risk for cardiovascular disease?
distinguish between low density lipoproteins (LDLs) and high density lipoproteins (HDLs)?
list three ways cigarette smoking can negatively impact blood vessels?