The Plasma Glucose Level - A Continuous Risk Factor for Vascular Disease in Both Diabetic and Non-Diabetic People

In epidemiologic studies, a risk factor is a measured variable that is associated with a subsequent risk of an adverse clinical outcome. Examples or different types of risk factors include demographic measurements (e.g. age and gender), clinical measurements (e.g. waist circumference or blood pressure), biochemical measurements (e.g. plasma glucose or cholesterol), exposures to drugs or environmental factors (e.g. smoking or radiation), or exposure to diseases (e.g. diabetes or hypertension). Risk factors maybe both discrete (either present or absent) or continuous. An example of a discrete risk factor is the presence or absence of diabetes and an example of a continuous risk factor is the plasma glucose level.