A new online tool developed by the Washington University School of Medicine is now helping users identify and reduce their disease risk.

Professor Graham Colditz of the Siteman Cancer Center at the School of Medicine developed the site at the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention. Colditz moved to the University in 2006, and the tool has continued to develop under his direction. A team of six University staff and researchers maintain the site.

In 2000, researchers called the project Your Cancer Risk because it assessed users’ risk for 12 different types of cancer, including prostate cancer, melanoma and breast cancer. Four years later, the team added additional functionality to the tool by allowing users to assess their risk of diseases, stroke, diabetes and osteoporosis. The project was renamed Your Disease Risk.

Hank Dart, the project leader for Your Disease Risk, says the transition has been seamless and the project is progressing well at the University.

“We’re very excited about the future of the site and the support and feedback we’ve gotten from Siteman and the larger University,” he said.

Dart explained that the team that developed the tool used established medical findings and literature to identify probable risk factors for each of the diseases on the site. Because new research is in the field always ongoing, Dart said the team will regularly update the site every 18 months.

“In between the detailed reviews, we also keep a close eye on the science and make updates as needed,” said Dart.

The site first asks users to identify an area of concern; options include cancer, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis or stroke. Then, users input basic information such as their height, weight and cholesterol level. A questionnaire follows, asking users multiple-choice questions about their diet, smoking habits and family history of disease.

Once this short questionnaire is completed, users are presented with a graph indicating their risk of cancer relative to a typical individual of their age. The site also provides suggestions for how to lessen the user’s risk of the disease, and even praises positive habits that users indicated on the questionnaire.

Though the tool is especially useful for older individuals who are more at risk for diabetes, stroke and disease, Your Disease Risk also allows young adults to assess their risk factors for potential complications.

The site also offers advice for how to remain healthy, a calendar of events and health classes available to the community and long-term programs for quitting smoking and eating right.

“Leading a healthy lifestyle as a young adult and keeping up those habits through the years can have big health payoffs,” said Dart.

Dart added that regardless of a person’s age, regular exercise, protection from the sun and a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and grains are easy and effective ways to reduce the risk of developing a disease. He also urged young people and adults to avoid smoking and to seek regular health screenings.

Dart mentioned that the team is currently working on another version of the site aimed specifically at young adults. The current version of Your Disease Risk is also continuing to develop.

“We’re looking to provide more online tools to better help people take the next step and actually make healthy changes to their lives,” he said.

The questionnaire is now available online at www.yourdiseaserisk.wustl.edu.

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