Final answer:
Key factors that increase the risk of death and disability include age, sex/gender, and personal health choices such as diet and tobacco use. These factors, alongside genetics and social determinants like income, impact the likelihood of developing diseases such as cardiovascular disease. Lifestyle habits are major contributors to health outcomes, sometimes equaling the effects of healthcare expenditures.
Step-by-step explanation:
Factors that increase the risk of death and disability include age, sex/gender, health, occupation, hobbies, and habits. As a person ages, the likelihood of cardiovascular diseases increases. Men under age 64 are more likely to die of coronary heart disease than women, but this gender difference decreases with age. Genetics also play a critical role, as a family history of cardiovascular disease increases one's chances of developing heart diseases.
Personal lifestyle choices, such as tobacco smoking, an unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity, can greatly increase the risk of diseases including metabolic syndrome, which is a precursor to cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. The impact of these lifestyle choices on life expectancy and health outcomes is significant, often intersecting with or comparable to the effects of health care expenditures, such as annual check-ups.
Moreover, behaviors such as smoking and consumption of sweetened beverages are identified as some of the single most important behavioral factors contributing to the risk of developing a variety of noninfectious diseases, alongside obesity, high blood pressure, unbalanced blood lipid levels, and high blood glucose levels. Thus, health outcomes are influenced both by personal preferences and broader social determinants like income, education, and employment status.