Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches

Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches

Biopharmaceutical studies constitute a vital field aiming to enhance drug delivery methods and refine therapeutic approaches, drawing upon diverse interdisciplinary knowledge. In research methodologies, the choice between controlled and non-controlled studies significantly influences the study's reliability and accuracy.
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...

Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection

Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection

The hosts' susceptibility to infection depends on several factors. The integrity of the skin and mucous membranes helps protect the body against microbial attacks. When the skin is altered, the chance of infection, limb loss, and even death increases.
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin create...

Factors Affecting Illness

Factors Affecting Illness

When a person's physical, emotional, intellectual, social development or spiritual functioning is compromised, this deviation from a healthy normal state is called illness. Illness creates stress that in turn harms individuals. Irritation, anger, denial, hopelessness, and fear are behavioral and emotional changes an individual experiences in the phases of illness. A variety of factors influence a person's health and well-being.
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness, disability,...

Relative Risk

Relative Risk

Relative risk (RR) is a statistical measure commonly used in epidemiology to compare the likelihood of a particular event occurring between two groups. This metric is important for evaluating the relationship between exposure to a specific risk factor and the probability of a particular outcome. It plays a crucial role in medical research, public health studies, and risk assessment. Relative risk quantifies how much more (or less) likely an event is to occur in an exposed group compared to an...

Drug Toxicity: Risk factors

Drug Toxicity: Risk factors

Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) are potential complications that arise during pharmacotherapy, influenced by multiple risk factors. Age plays a significant role; both neonates and the elderly are at heightened risk due to their respective immature and diminished metabolic and elimination processes. Gender also impacts ADRs, with females experiencing a 1.5 to 1.7-fold greater risk than males, which may be linked to pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and hormonal differences. Notably, neonates, the...

Infection

Infection

When a pathogen enters the body and reproduces, it can cause an infection, damage body cells, and cause illness symptoms that eventually lead to disease. Therefore, its prevention requires breaking the chain of infection.
The chain begins with pathogens: bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions, or parasites such as protozoa helminths. These can be present on the skin as transient or resident flora, or they can be acquired from the environment. Identifying and treating the type of infection and...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Considering Personal Utility in Assessments of Medical Interventions: The Case of Lung Cancer Screening.

The American journal of bioethics : AJOB·2026

Same author

Asking Patients on Principle: Public Deliberation About Waiver or Modification of Consent.

The American journal of bioethics : AJOB·2026

Same author

Assessing patient understanding of pharmacogenomic test results: a qualitative study.

Pharmacogenomics·2025

Same author

Effect of Personalized Risk Messages on Uptake of Colorectal Cancer Screening : A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Annals of internal medicine·2025

Same author

Informed Consent and Comprehension after the Pragmatic Turn.

The American journal of bioethics : AJOB·2025

Same author

Development of a Multifaceted Program for Pharmacogenetics Adoption at an Academic Medical Center: Practical Considerations and Lessons Learned.

Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Application of I TASSER, trRosetta, UCSF Chimera, HADDOCK server, and HEX loria for De Novo and In Silico Design of Proteins

Application of I TASSER, trRosetta, UCSF Chimera, HADDOCK server, and HEX loria for De Novo and In Silico Design of Proteins

Published on: July 8, 2025

Risk and disease.

Peter H Schwartz¹

¹Center for Bioethics, Indiana University School of Medicine, 410 W. 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. phschwar@iupui.edu

Perspectives in Biology and Medicine

|August 30, 2008

Summary

Many common diseases like hypertension and high cholesterol are diagnosed based on risk factors, not pathology. Treating these risk factors is crucial for reducing mortality, but they shouldn't be labeled as diseases.

Area of Science:

Medical Ethics
Preventive Medicine
Clinical Diagnosis

Background:

Disease definition is increasingly linked to modifiable risk factors.
Diagnostic thresholds are set at levels where intervention reduces future disease risk.
This approach risks reclassifying risk factors as pathological conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

To critique the trend of redefining risk factors as diseases.
To examine the classification of conditions like stage 1 hypertension and high cholesterol.
To argue against labeling risk factors as pathological entities.

Main Methods:

Critical analysis of diagnostic criteria for "risk-based diseases."
Examination of the philosophical and ethical implications of disease reclassification.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Application of I TASSER, trRosetta, UCSF Chimera, HADDOCK server, and HEX loria for De Novo and In Silico Design of Proteins

Application of I TASSER, trRosetta, UCSF Chimera, HADDOCK server, and HEX loria for De Novo and In Silico Design of Proteins

Published on: July 8, 2025

Review of evidence for treating modifiable risk factors.

Main Results:

Many diagnosed "diseases," such as stage 1 hypertension and high cholesterol, may not represent true pathological conditions.
Classifying risk factors as diseases has significant philosophical and ethical consequences.
Treating these risk factors remains vital for reducing morbidity and mortality.

Conclusions:

Conditions like hypertension and high cholesterol, while important risk factors, should not be pathologically defined.
Ethical and philosophical considerations necessitate a clear distinction between risk and disease.
Continued focus on treating modifiable risk factors is essential for public health.