Lifetime risk is a term used to describe the probability of an individual developing a particular health condition during their lifetime. It is a useful tool for health professionals to assess an individual’s risk of developing a particular health condition and to inform decisions about prevention and screening strategies. This article provides an overview of lifetime risk, its application in clinical practice and its implications for public health.
Lifetime risk is calculated by determining the cumulative incidence rate of a particular health condition. This is done by assessing the number of new cases of a condition that occur in a population over a specific period of time. The resulting figure is then divided by the total number of people in the population to give an estimate of the probability of developing the condition during a lifetime. This is then expressed as a percentage (e.g. 1 in 10 people have a lifetime risk of developing diabetes).
Lifetime risk is a useful tool for health professionals as it allows them to assess an individual’s risk of developing a particular health condition and to inform decisions about prevention and screening strategies. It can be used to inform decisions about lifestyle changes or interventions that may reduce an individual’s risk of developing a health condition. For example, a high lifetime risk of developing type 2 diabetes may be used to inform lifestyle changes or interventions such as diet, physical activity or medication that may reduce this risk.
Lifetime risk is also beneficial for public health as it can help to identify populations at high risk of developing a condition. This information can then be used to inform public health strategies such as education campaigns or targeted screening programs. For example, a high lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer may be used to inform public health campaigns about the importance of screening for this condition or to target screening resources at high-risk populations.
In conclusion, lifetime risk is a useful tool for health professionals and public health practitioners. It can be used to assess an individual’s risk of developing a particular health condition and to inform decisions about prevention and screening strategies. It can also be used to identify populations at high risk of developing a condition and to inform public health strategies.
References
American Cancer Society. (2020). Colorectal cancer risk factors. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). What is the lifetime risk of developing diabetes? Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/lifetime-risk.html
National Institutes of Health. (2020). What is lifetime risk? Retrieved from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/what-is-lifetime-risk