Measuring your disease risk
A new website by Harvard School of Public Health lets visitors tally their risk for several types of cancer, as well as heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, and stroke. Users input their age and gender and some more specific info about their lifestyle to get personalized risk level comparisons for a given disease against those of others in the same demographic. The risk calculator also gives good tips on risk minimization and screening.
Check out the Advocacy and Community Action page of the site for tips on the how you can help support healthy lifestyles in your community.
http://www.ewg-list.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-t.cgi/339
Take the test here to find your disease risk
http://www.yourdiseaserisk.harvard.edu/english/
recommend this
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 10
Considering no-one in my family has ever had breast cancer, and we're generally a cancer-free family (on both sides), the results seem a little suspect to me.
From my report:
Based on how you filled out the questionnaire and what we know about breast cancer, these are the things that raise your risk of the disease. You can change some of them, but not all of them.
What raises your risk:
Click on each item to find out why.
You are tall. [More]
You don't eat 3 or more servings of vegetables a day. [More]
You were younger than 15 when you started your period. [More]
You've given birth to less than 2 children. [More]
Lowers Risk
Based on how you filled out the questionnaire these are the things that lower your risk of breast cancer.
What lowers your risk:
Click on each item to find out why.
You don't usually drink 1 or more servings of alcohol a day. [More]
You don't currently take birth control pills. [More]
You don't have benign breast disease. [More]
You don't have a family history of breast cancer. [More]
Your ethnicity isn't mostly Jewish. [More]
You aren't overweight. .[More]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Guess I'd better find a way to up my veggie intake.
Compared to a typical woman your age, your risk is much above average
Screening Tip
Get checked regularly by a health care professional for important heart disease risk factors. More >>
Much above average risk doesn't mean you'll definitely get heart disease. It's just an estimate based on your risk factors, some of which you may not be able to change. If you have any concerns, talk to a doctor.
Watch Your Risk Drop
You have 7 things you can do to lower your risk. To see what your risk could be, click on a box and watch your risk drop:
Eat more fruits and vegetables [Tips]
Eat more whole grains: aim for 3 servings per day [Tips]
Decrease the saturated fats in your diet [Tips]
Increase your physical activity
Control your blood pressure [Tips]
Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. [Tips]
Decrease your total cholesterol [Tips]
Keep up the good work!
You're already doing these things to lower your risk:
You don't smoke cigarettes. [More]
You eat 2 or more servings of fish per week. [More]
You eat 3 or more servings of nuts per week. [More]
You don't eat trans unsaturated fats (like stick margarine, vegetable shortening, store bought baked-goods or deep fried fast foods) on most days. [More]
You use unsaturated fats (like liquid vegetable oil) on most days. [More]
You take a multivitamin or B complex supplement on most days. [More]
You don't have diabetes. [More]
You are not regularly exposed to tobacco smoke. [More]
Okay, I am going to find a way to up my veggie intake...Hows that for a start?
Compared to a typical man your age, your risk is average
Screening Tip
There are no effective screening tests for lung cancer. If you smoke, your best bet for protection is to quit.
Average risk means you're a lot like most people. But it's just an estimate. It doesn't mean you'll definitely get cancer or that you'll always be healthy. If you have any concerns, talk to a doctor.
Watch Your Risk Drop
You have 4 things you can do to lower your risk. To see what your risk could be, click on a box and watch your risk drop:
Stay cigarette free. [Tips]
Eat at least 3 servings of vegetables every day. [Tips]
Eat 3 or more servings of fruit a day [Tips]
Avoid smoke from other people's cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. [Tips]
Keep up the good work!
You're already doing these things to lower your risk:
You quit smoking cigarettes. [More]
You don't smoke cigars. [More]
You haven't been exposed to workplace chemicals linked to lung cancer. [More]
YIKES....PASS ME A CARROT QUICK
These tests are not specific enough, but I did get reminded of a few things I need to do. (As far as reducing my risk goes)
Can't help you there Felix. My Mom and Grandparents smoked so much when I was growing up....It was enough for me not to start. Although, my brother on the other hand smokes so much that smoke should be coming out of his head. ROFL
You smoke if you want too, I promise not to bug ya about that...;-)
There are many other tests at the site besides the one for lung disease.
I went straight to the heart disease tests first since it runs in my family.