1.3.1Unit 1: Lifestyle, Transport, Genes and Health
Reducing Risk Factors of CVD — IAL Edexcel Linear Revision Notes & Topical Questions
5 min read 4 parts Lesson 19 of 29 Unit quiz
Section 1 of 4Risk Factors You Can Change
Smoking
- Nicotine raises heart rate and blood pressure, carbon monoxide reduces oxygen transport and chemicals damage the artery lining.
Diet
- Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol and a high salt intake raises blood pressure, both increasing the chance of atheroma formation.
Inactivity
- Regular exercise lowers blood pressure and body mass and helps to raise high-density lipoprotein levels.
Obesity
- Excess body fat is associated with high blood pressure, raised cholesterol and a greater risk of diabetes.
Alcohol and stress
- Excessive alcohol and long-term stress can raise blood pressure over time.
Section 2 of 4Risk Factors You Cannot Change
Risk Factors You Cannot Change
Age
- The risk rises with age as arteries gradually lose their elasticity and atheromas accumulate.
Sex
- Men tend to have a higher risk of coronary heart disease at younger ages than women before the menopause.
Genetic inheritance
- Some people inherit alleles that raise cholesterol or blood pressure, so a family history of CVD raises their risk.
Interaction
- Several risk factors acting together increase risk by more than any single factor does alone.
Section 3 of 4Reducing Risk
1
Stop smoking, which removes the damaging chemicals and lets blood pressure and oxygen transport improve.
2
Reduce saturated fat and salt in the diet and eat more fruit, vegetables and fibre.
3
Take regular exercise, which strengthens the heart and helps to control weight and blood pressure.
4
Maintain a healthy body mass and limit alcohol to keep blood pressure and cholesterol in a healthy range.
5
Remember that correlation is not causation, so evidence from many studies is needed to show that a factor is truly responsible.
Section 4 of 4Exam Checklist & Tips
1.3.1 – Key Points for the Exam
- Risk factor A characteristic or behaviour that increases the chance of developing a disease.
- Cardiovascular disease Disease of the heart and blood vessels.
- Correlation A relationship between two variables that does not itself prove cause.
- Hypertension Persistently high blood pressure.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming that having a risk factor guarantees the disease; it only raises the probability.
- Treating correlation as proof of cause when evidence from several studies is needed.
- Forgetting that risk factors interact and that their effects can be multiplied.
- Listing only lifestyle factors and ignoring age, sex and inherited factors.
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