A recently identified potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease is low serum folate level. Loosely defined as low levels of physical activity over extended periods of time. Lack of physical exercise is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. These rates reflect the realistic trends in males and females, but cannot be used for comparing males with females, because a different standard population is used. A relative term the definition of which varies between researchers.
Smoking is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
The ratio of the number of events observed in a study population to the number that would be expected if the study population had the same specific rates as a standard population, multiplied by 100. An aggregation of blood factors, primarily platelets and fibrin with entrapment of cellular elements, frequently causing vascular obstruction at the point of its formation. It is used as a measurement of obesity.