Jennifer Mendoza
Research expert covering health, pharma and medtech
Health risk factors in the U.S. - Statistics & Facts
There are many everyday habits and behaviors that can pose significant risks to human health. Smoking tobacco, excessive alcohol consumption, a lack of exercise and poor diet, drug use, and unprotected sex are common examples. Such activities can increase the risk of numerous diseases including hypertension, heart disease, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), diabetes, and cancer. In fact, it is estimated that around 40 percent of all cancer cases in the United States can be attributed to modifiable risk factors, with cigarette smoking attributing to 19 percent of cases and excess body weight almost eight percent of cases.
