Take the time to understand what cancer risk is and how it's measured. This can help you put your own cancer risk into perspective.
You might wonder what your chances are of developing cancer. But cancer statistics can be confusing. News reports make it sound as if nearly every day something is found to dramatically raise your risk. Sorting through all the information and figuring out what's valid and what isn't can be tricky.
What is risk?
When scientists talk about risk, they're referring to a probability the chance that something may occur, but not a guarantee that it will. As an example of probability, if you flip a coin, there is a one in two chance, or a 50 percent chance, that the coin will land heads up.
Risk estimates for cancer and other diseases are determined by studying large groups of people to discover the probability that any given person or category of people will develop the disease over a certain period of time, and to see what characteristics or behaviors are associated with increased or decreased risk.
Cholesterol Center
Facts about cholesterol from understanding how high cholesterol affects your health to medication to help lower cholesterol.
Introduction
Cholesterol is found in every cell in your body. This fat-like substance is an important component of cell membranes and a building block in the formation of some hormones. But your body makes all the cholesterol it needs. Any cholesterol in your diet is extra and it's up to no good.
When there's too much cholesterol in your blood, you may develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels. Eventually, these deposits make it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries. Your heart may not get as much oxygen-rich blood as it needs, which increases the risk of a heart attack. Decreased blood flow to your brain can cause a stroke.
But there's good news. High blood cholesterol [hypercholesterolemia] is largely preventable. A healthy diet, regular exercise and other lifestyle changes can go a long way toward reducing high cholesterol. Sometimes medication is needed, too.
Risk factors
You're more likely to have high cholesterol if you're inactive, obese or eat unhealthy foods. Although high cholesterol can lead to heart disease on its own, other factors compound the risk:
Smoking: Cigarette smoking damages the walls of your blood vessels, making them likely to accumulate fatty deposits. Smoking may also lower your level of HDL cholesterol. High blood pressure: Increased pressure on your artery walls damages your arteries, which can speed the accumulation of fatty deposits.
Diabetes: High blood sugar contributes to high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol. High blood sugar also damages the lining of your arteries.
Family history of heart disease: If a parent or sibling developed heart disease before age 55, high cholesterol levels place you at a greater than average risk of developing heart disease.
You might wonder what your chances are of developing cancer. But cancer statistics can be confusing. News reports make it sound as if nearly every day something is found to dramatically raise your risk. Sorting through all the information and figuring out what's valid and what isn't can be tricky.
What is risk?
When scientists talk about risk, they're referring to a probability the chance that something may occur, but not a guarantee that it will. As an example of probability, if you flip a coin, there is a one in two chance, or a 50 percent chance, that the coin will land heads up.
Risk estimates for cancer and other diseases are determined by studying large groups of people to discover the probability that any given person or category of people will develop the disease over a certain period of time, and to see what characteristics or behaviors are associated with increased or decreased risk.
Cholesterol Center
Facts about cholesterol from understanding how high cholesterol affects your health to medication to help lower cholesterol.
Introduction
Cholesterol is found in every cell in your body. This fat-like substance is an important component of cell membranes and a building block in the formation of some hormones. But your body makes all the cholesterol it needs. Any cholesterol in your diet is extra and it's up to no good.
When there's too much cholesterol in your blood, you may develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels. Eventually, these deposits make it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries. Your heart may not get as much oxygen-rich blood as it needs, which increases the risk of a heart attack. Decreased blood flow to your brain can cause a stroke.
But there's good news. High blood cholesterol [hypercholesterolemia] is largely preventable. A healthy diet, regular exercise and other lifestyle changes can go a long way toward reducing high cholesterol. Sometimes medication is needed, too.
Risk factors
You're more likely to have high cholesterol if you're inactive, obese or eat unhealthy foods. Although high cholesterol can lead to heart disease on its own, other factors compound the risk:
Smoking: Cigarette smoking damages the walls of your blood vessels, making them likely to accumulate fatty deposits. Smoking may also lower your level of HDL cholesterol. High blood pressure: Increased pressure on your artery walls damages your arteries, which can speed the accumulation of fatty deposits.
Diabetes: High blood sugar contributes to high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol. High blood sugar also damages the lining of your arteries.
Family history of heart disease: If a parent or sibling developed heart disease before age 55, high cholesterol levels place you at a greater than average risk of developing heart disease.
