A factor that increases the likelihood of a negative outcome, used in medical, financial, and general contexts.
喫煙は肺がんのリスク要因です。
Smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer.
高血圧は心疾患の主要なリスク要因の一つだ。
High blood pressure is one of the major risk factors for heart disease.
Compound of リスク (risk) and 要因 (factor, cause). リスク is a loanword from English, and 要因 is a Sino-Japanese word.