Others the students may be able to think of are stress, alcohol and drug abuse, etc. This simulation is based on the assumption that all of the risks of both types are additive. For example, dietary factors such as saturated fat and cholesterol intake assume much greater importance in individuals with genetic abnormalities in lipid metabolism than they do in the rest of the population. Even with a very high risk score, it is seldom the case that one is certain to get heart disease. Nor is a very low risk score a guarantee that one will never have heart disease.
Chance plays a part.
For example, in a pair of identical twins with virtually identical lifestyles, it is sometimes the case that one twin will suffer a heart attack and the other will not. Students who want more information about their personal risk of heart disease should be referred to their family doctor or other health care professional. Your local chapter of the American Heart Association can provide useful information and handouts for students. However, it is to be hoped that through this exercise your students will have come to appreciate that this is not just some sort of abstract scientific generalization to be learned for a test, but a statement about the real world that could affect their own lives in many important ways. Direct questions and comments to Science Outreach .