risk factor

(American Association for Cancer Research) The use of postmenopausal hormone therapy has decreased over time in the United States, which researchers suggest may play a key role in the declining rate of atypical ductal hyperplasia, a known risk factor for breast cancer.

Researchers have discovered a reason why smoking increases the risk of heart disease and strokes. Nicotine promotes insulin resistance, also called prediabetes, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Researchers have uncovered variation around two genes that are associated with an increased risk of testicular cancer, which is the most common cancer among young men -- it now affects seven out of 100,000 white men in the United States each year.

The discovery is the first step toward understanding which men are at high risk of disease.

A new study suggests for the first time that cytomegalovirus, a common viral infection affecting between 60 and 99 percent of adults worldwide, is a cause of high blood pressure, a leading risk factor for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.

New evidence shows that drinking alcohol is the greatest risk factor for acetaldehyde-related cancer. Heavy drinkers may be at increased risk due to exposure from multiple sources.

The research team also noted, that this risk is compounded by the addition of acetaldehyde exposure from different sources.

An elaborate statistical analysis of genes from more than 7,000 individuals has identified an amino acid that appears to be a major risk factor for multiple sclerosis, a devastating autoimmune disorder that afflicts 2.5 million people worldwide.

Chronic drinking is a known risk factor for colorectal cancer, possibly due to the creation of acetaldehyde by the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme.

New findings show that individuals with a polymorphism of the ADH1C gene produce more acetaldehyde when they drink, which creates a higher risk for colorectal cancer.