A health risk assessment (HRA) tool can be used to learn about potential health risks that are related to your lifestyle and family history. The Palo Alto Medical Foundation's (PAMF) HRA, which is completed online through a secure Web site, leads you through a series of questions that help determine your individual health risk.

At the end of the questionnaire, you receive a customized report that explains your health risks. These risks fall into three categories:

1. Personal behaviors that affect your health and can be changed

2. Family and personal history risks, that while they cannot be changed, you should be aware of as you make daily lifestyle choices

3. Aspects of your current health status, such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure and body weight

For specific health risks, PAMF provides additional information on each topic, including ways to reduce your risk and lead a healthier lifestyle. You can use your user name and password to log in to the HRA as often as you like to revise your answers, review your health risks and chart your progress.

By using the HRA, you are taking a positive step forward in protecting and improving your health. As you complete the HRA, remember that your results will depend on how accurately and completely you answer each question.

Before You Begin the HRA

To get the most from the PAMF HRA, it is best to have the following personal health information with you:

1. Your blood pressure

2. Your LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol -- often labeled "bad cholesterol" -- score

3. Your HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol -- often labeled "good cholesterol" -- score

4. Your triglyceride score -- triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood

5. Your total cholesterol score -- the total amount of all cholesterol in your blood

If you do not have all of this information, you can still take the HRA but some of the reports will be incomplete. If you obtain these scores in the future, simply return to the HRA, log in with your user name and password, fill in the missing information and review your revised report.

• Take the PAMF Health Risk Assessment now.