Risk factor template

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Charmaine Patel, M.D. [2]

Introduction to the Risk Factors Page

  • The page name should be "(Disease name) risk factors", with only the first letter of the title capitalized.
  • Goal: Risk factors are behaviors and conditions that put the patient at risk for developing a disease.
  • A risk factor is anything that increases a person's chance of developing a disease. Although risk factors often influence the development of a given disorder, most do not directly cause the disorder.
  • Remember risk factors are different from cause. Risk factors are correlational and not necessarily causal, because correlation does not prove causation. For example, being young cannot be said to cause measles, but young people have a higher rate of measles because they are less likely to have developed immunity during a previous epidemic. Childhood obesity is a risk factor, but not the cause of diabetes. In contrast, HIV causes AIDS, the bacteria Bartonella henselae is the cause of cat scratch disease.
  • As with all microchapter pages linking to the main page, at the top of the edit box put {{CMG}}, your name template, and the microchapter navigation template you created at the beginning.
  • Remember to create links within Wikidoc by placing [[square brackets]] around key words which you want to link to other pages. Make sure you makes your links as specific as possible. For example if a sentence contained the phrase anterior spinal artery syndrome, the link should be to anterior spinal artery syndrome not anterior or artery or syndrome. For more information on how to create links click here.
  • Remember to follow the same format and capitalization of letters as outlined in the template below.
  • You should include the name of the disease in the first sentence of every subsection.

Overview

  • The overview section should include the disease name in the first sentence.
  • The goal is to summarize the risk factor page in several sentences. This section can be the same as the risk factors segment on the overview page.
  • To see an example, click here

Template

  • First Sentence:
The most potent risk factor in the development of [disease name] is [risk factor 1]. Other risk factors include [risk factor 2], [risk factor 3], and [risk factor 4].
OR
Common risk factors in the development of [disease name] are [risk factor 1], [risk factor 2], [risk factor 3], and [risk factor 4].
OR
There are no established risk factors for [disease name].
  • Examples:
Example 1: The most portent risk factor in the development of C. difficile infection is recent antibiotic use within the past 3 months. Other risk factors include advanced age, immunodeficiency, and history of inflammatory bowel disease.
Example 2: Common risk factors in the development of coronary artery disease are hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and active smoking.
Example 3: There are no established risk factors for gangloglioma.

Preferred Template Statements

IF one particular risk factor is especially strongly associated with disease development:

  • The most potent risk factor in the development of [disease name] is [risk factor 1]. Other risk factors include [risk factor 2], [risk factor 3], and [risk factor 4].

IF all risk factors contribute equally to disease development:

  • On the overview page, use a full sentence:
    • Common risk factors in the development of [disease name] include [risk factor 1], [risk factor 2], [risk factor 3], and [risk factor 4].
  • On the Risk Factors microchapter, use bullet points:
    • Common risk factors in the development of [disease name] include:
      • [risk factor 1]
      • [risk factor 2]
      • [risk factor 3]

IF there are no known risk factors for the development of the disease:

  • There are no established risk factors for [disease name].

You may also wish to clarify the nature of the risk factors with a statement similar to the following:

  • Common risk factors in the development of [disease name] may be occupational, environmental, genetic, and viral.

Common Risk Factors

  • Here you can list the common risk factors for the disease.
  • This may be a good section to include a table. For information on inserting tables, click here.

Less Common Risk Factors

  • Here you can list the less common risk factors for the disease.
  • This may also be a good section to include a table.

References

  • References should be cited for the material that you have put on your page. Type in {{reflist|2}}.This will generate your references in small font, in two columns, with links to the original article and abstract.
  • For information on how to add references into your page, click here.


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