risk factor

n. something that helps or increases risk to disease or infection (Medicine)

n. (Medicine) factors that have been proven to raise a person's probabilities of developing a disease or infection

This article is about the concept in health and disease. For the topic in game theory, see risk dominance. A risk factor is a variable associated with an increased risk of disease or infection. Risk factors are correlational and not necessarily causal, because correlation does not imply causation. For example, being young cannot be said to cause measles, but young people are more at risk as they are less likely to have developed immunity during a previous epidemic.
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Something that increases a person's chances of developing a disease.

Something that may increase the chance of developing a disease. Some examples of risk factors for cancer include age, a familyhistory of certain cancers, use of tobacco products, certain eating habits, obesity, exposure to radiation or other cancer-causing agents, and certain genetic changes.

Broadly, anything clearly defined that is associated with a change, especially an increase, in the likelihood that one will develop a particular health problem or undergo a change in health. For example, cigarette smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer and coronary heart disease.