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This web page on Modifiable Risk Factors is about what you can do to avoid dying from a lifestyle disease, or degenerative disease, as you age. If you were to list the modifiable risk factors for each Disease of Civilization you would find a lot of overlap. What is a risk factor for one disease, is often a risk factor for many different chronic diseases. So, it makes more sense simply to list the risk factors once that are responsible for the Diseases of Civilization as a group than to repeatedly list a risk factor like smoking over and over again.[1],[2],[3],[4] Highlights of Modifiable Risk Factors:
While allopathic medicine is the most effective system for acute medical and surgical emergencies, it has only a limited ability to change the course of many serious degenerative diseases. A collection of lifestyle effects and environmental factors accumulate over the years and develop into lifestyle diseases, or diseases of civilization. They are different from other diseases because they are lifestyle diseases which are potentially preventable. Air and Water Pollution - Air pollution is a Modifiable Risk Factor for cancer, especially lung cancer. Carcinogens derived from car emissions, industrial activity, burning of solid wastes and fuels remain in the air from four to forty days and travel long distances. Our drinking water contains many carcinogens, including asbestos, arsenic, metals, and synthetic organic compounds. Asbestos and nitrates are associated with gastrointestinal cancers; arsenic is associated with skin cancer; and synthetic organic chemicals are associated with cancers of the gastrointestinal tract and urinary bladder. Throughout our lives, we expose ourselves to many chemicals in small amounts and in many combinations unique to our culture and environment. We can prevent most cancers if the factors that cause them can be controlled or eliminated. Pollution is not part of a healthy lifestyle. Healthy living means taking action by removing yourself from all forms of pollution. Alcohol - Alcohol in moderation (ex., one to two beers or one to two glasses of wine per day) has been shown to reduce the incidence of heart attacks. It increases your HDL, or high density lipoprotein that is often called the good-acting cholesterol. Alcohol in moderation is part of a healthy lifestyle. Healthy living means drinking alcohol only in moderation. Dietary Excesses
Dietary excesses are not part of a healthy lifestyle. Healthy living means taking action by cutting back on all dietary excesses. Excess Sunlight and Radiation - Human studies show that radiation is a Modifiable Risk Factor for developing cancer. Radiation is exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays, nuclear radiation, X-rays, and radon. Always use a sun block with at least an SPF of 30. A billed hat is also a good idea to keep your head and eyes shaded. Sunlight and specifically the ultraviolet rays are the principal offender causing cataracts. Eye protection with sunglasses preferably of the polarized variety, will prevent the cumulative effects of these damaging rays. Have your house checked for radon gas. Chronic and excessive tanning is not part of a healthy lifestyle. Healthy living means wearing SPF 15+ sun screen lotion and limiting your exposure to the sun. High Cholesterol / Hypertension - Your blood cholesterol level is a Modifiable Risk Factor for CVD. Total cholesterol below 180 poses a low risk; between 180 - 200 is a good range; more than 200 increases your CVD risk, while more than 250 will clearly give you a higher risk. Overall, hypertension lacks signs and symptoms, thus explaining the term silent killer. High blood pressure means more than 140/90 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury, a pressure reading). Normal blood pressure should range from 100/70 to 120/80. Until you can control your blood pressure by your diet and exercise alone, you need to be on medication. A high fat / sugar diet is not part of a healthy lifestyle. Healthy living means taking action by avoiding junk food. Immunizations - Adults have an ongoing immunization schedule. Every ten years a tetanus booster should be taken. A flu vaccine[5] shot should be taken yearly in the fall for all those over the age of 65. Do not forget to take the one-time pneumonia[5] shot. A vaccine is, also, available for Hepatitis B, the most common cause of liver cancer worldwide. Taking all these one-time shots is best while you are still in your late sixties. Obesity - Obtain and maintain a normal body weight. The very bottom line for optimizing personal longevity is eating less. Always munching on junk food is not part of a healthy lifestyle. Healthy living means taking action by eating in moderation. Occupational Chemicals - About 10 percent of all cancers are related to exposure to carcinogens on the job. Some occupations and work places have a high risk for cancer. Working at a dirty job is not part of a healthy lifestyle. Healthy living means taking action by removing yourself from all forms of pollution. Money will do you no good when you are dead. Poor Nutrition - A healthy diet is good for preventing or managing all chronic diseases, and for losing weight, boosting energy and promoting overall good health. There is a strong correlation between diet and nutritional deficiencies and many cancers. The National Academy of Sciences and others estimate that nutritional factors account for 60 percent of cancer cases in women and 40 percent in men. Eating healthy is part of a healthy lifestyle. Healthy living means taking action by eating a healthy diet, on a daily basis. Sedentary Lifestyle - Making time for physical activity is a vital link to enhancing your chances of staying healthy. Choose an activity that you enjoy doing. An exercise program will help prevent most of the chronic diseases. Weight bearing exercises will also help you prevent fractured hips and crumbling bones. Exercising can improve your quality of life. In a healthy person, the resting heart rate may range from 50 - 65 beats per minute for men and 55 - 70 for women. An unfit person may have a rate in the 80s or 90s.[6] A good exercise program will strengthen the heart muscle and help to reduce the resting heart rate and to lower blood pressure and blood fats, while raising HDL cholesterol, thus lessening atherosclerosis risk. In addition, the benefits from exercise extend to Syndrome-X patients, with a significant improvement in blood sugar regulation, and blood lipid profiles, an improved hip-to-waist ratio, lowered blood pressure and resting heart rate. Regular physical activity is part of a healthy lifestyle. Healthy living means taking action by starting a modest exercise program. The key is keeping at it, not burning out after a week or two of over doing it. Smoking - Smoking is a Modifiable Risk Factor for more disease processes than any other risk factor and causes more deaths than any other lifestyle cause. It has been estimated that 30 percent of all cancers may be related to smoking, either directly or indirectly. All tobacco products are included in this risk factor, not just cigarettes. Smoking is not part of a healthy lifestyle. Healthy living means taking action by stop smoking. Stress - Stress and mental turmoil enhance susceptibility to most illnesses. By creating a milieu of harmony and peace of mind, one can reduce the incidence of these maladies. Stressful living is not part of a healthy lifestyle. Healthy living means taking action by starting a modest stress reduction program. [Home of Wellness Program][Introducing Our Wellness Program][Essentials of Our Wellness Program] Anyone having trouble viewing this web page should check out: For the Best Viewing Experience.
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Lifestyle, Healthy Living, & Modifiable Risk Factors |
| Natural Cures through Healthy Diets and Holistic Medicine |
| Informational Content finalized during
October 2006. | 
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