Although there are a number of heart conditions that can ultimately result in death, atherosclerosis accounts for more deaths than all others combined. It is for that reason the risk factors discussed here are limited to those involving atherosclerotic development. In Chapter 12 of the textbook, there are additional risk factors presented that will not be discussed here. The approach taken in these notes has more to do with non-symptomatic risk factors.
Some experts categorize atherosclerotic risk factors as being either primary or secondary.
Primary risk factors are those that appear to have a stronger statistical link to disease development than the secondary risk factors. Another important point that should be made is that all the risk factors are just that, risk factors. This means one could have a number of risk factors present, but live to be 100 years old and never develop the disease. The point being, risk factors are statistical links to the disease. They are not cause and effect.