To begin, at the left of the figure, trends in risk factors or biological markers such as cholesterol and other lipids, weight, and indicators of insulin regulation are separate markers of underlying health and population propensity to disease. At the population level, the age of onset of these factors generally precedes the onset of related diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The second box includes diseases, conditions, and impairments. Sometimes it is difficult to separate diseases from conditions that may or may not have a clear disease process and may or may not have associated impairment. Cognitive deterioration is not always linked to a recognized disease process, and.
