Besides biological risk factors for the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases, neoplasms and diabetes, such as genetic disposition, sex and age, important risk factors for their appearance are also elevated blood pressure, impaired fat levels in blood, increased blood cholesterol, increased blood sugar, obesity and factors of unhealthy lifestyle - smoking, lack of physical activity, inadequate nutrition, alcohol and stress.
Poleg bioloških dejavnikov tveganja za bolezni srca in ožilja, novotvorbe in sladkorno bolezen, kot so genetska dispozicija, spol in starost, so pomembni dejavniki tveganja za njihov nastanek tudi zvišan krvni tlak, moten nivo maščob v krvi, zvišan holesterol v krvi, zvišan krvni sladkor, prekomerna telesna teža ter dejavniki nezdravega življenjskega sloga - kajenje, telesna nedejavnost, nepravilna prehrana, alkohol in stres.