Age and risk
Baseline versus modifiable risk; how age shifts screening and procedure decisions.
Age-related risk
Many risks rise with age (cardiovascular events, cancer incidence, frailty-related injury), while some risks are higher in youth (certain trauma exposures, risk-taking behaviors). The key is to separate baseline risk from modifiable risk.
Baseline vs modifiable
You cannot change your age. You can change blood pressure control, fitness, smoke exposure, driving behavior, and vaccination status.
How age changes decision thresholds
- Screening: benefits and harms shift with remaining life expectancy and competing risks.
- Procedures: frailty and comorbidities can dominate complication risk.
- Activities: fall risk and bone fragility change injury severity.