What chronic disease risk categories does the Styku Health Screen assess?

Overview

The Styku Health Screen organizes chronic disease risks into five broad categories. Each category groups conditions that share a common physiological mechanism linked to body composition and fat distribution. This article summarizes what each category covers and why it matters.

Details

1. Metabolic Diseases

Caused by excess adipose (fat) tissue—especially abdominal fat—releasing inflammatory molecules and hormones that disrupt normal metabolism.

Condition | What It Means

**Metabolic Syndrome** | A cluster of five risk factors (large waist, high blood pressure, low HDL, high triglycerides, high blood sugar). Styku predicts this cluster with up to 92% accuracy using body shape data. Displayed as "lower risk" or "higher risk."

**Type 2 Diabetes** | Occurs when the body stops responding to insulin, causing chronically high blood sugar. Linked to lifestyle and obesity rather than genetics.

**High Triglycerides** | Excess fat in the bloodstream. Obesity impairs the body's ability to clear these fats, which can damage blood vessels and contribute to atherosclerosis (hardened arteries).

**HOMA-IR (Insulin Resistance)** | Measures how well the body responds to insulin. Excess weight drives insulin resistance, which can lead directly to Type 2 diabetes.

**Low HDL Cholesterol** | HDL is the "good" cholesterol that clears plaque from arteries. Excess body fat lowers HDL levels, reducing cardiovascular protection.

Note on blood marker estimates: Styku does not draw blood. These are risk estimates derived from validated anthropometric measurements (such as trunk-to-leg volume ratio), published in peer-reviewed research conducted with university partners.

2. Cardiorespiratory Diseases

Affect the heart, lungs, and circulatory system. Excess fat deposits release inflammatory substances that damage blood vessels and impair oxygen delivery.

Condition | What It Means

**Hypertension** | High blood pressure caused by the heart working harder against damaged, narrowed arteries.

**Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)** | Excess belly fat stiffens arteries and restricts blood flow to the heart.

**Stroke** | A "brain attack" caused by blocked blood flow to the brain; excess weight increases the risk of artery blockages and high blood pressure.

**Heart Failure** | A progressive condition where the heart can no longer pump efficiently due to the combined strain of a larger body, stiffened arteries, and thickened heart muscle. This also stresses the kidneys, creating a dangerous multi-system cycle.

**Respiratory Conditions (Asthma/COPD)** | Extra body fat compresses the lungs, limits deep breathing, and fuels airway inflammation, worsening conditions like asthma and COPD.

3. Non-Genetic Cancers

Driven by lifestyle, environmental, or behavioral factors rather than inherited genetics.

Excess fat cells produce hormones and growth factors that can promote cancerous cell development.
Adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance create an environment that can feed tumor growth, particularly in the breast, prostate, and colon.

4. Musculoskeletal Diseases

Affect muscles, bones, and joints. Excess abdominal fat and reduced muscle mass increase joint strain, chronic inflammation, and injury risk.

Condition | What It Means

**Sarcopenia** | Age-related muscle loss, accelerated by excess body fat "marbling" the muscles with fat and inflammation. Assessed using the **Appendicular Lean Soft Tissue Index**, validated against gold-standard measures.

**Low Back Pain** | Excess belly weight pulls the spine out of alignment, leading to lumbar lordosis (increased lower-spine curvature) and elevated stress on the low back. Affects approximately 80% of people at some point in their lives.

**Osteoarthritis** | "Bone and joint inflammation." Excess weight places extreme physical pressure on hips and knees, breaking down cartilage faster.

5. Longevity and Aging Analysis

Evaluates the rate of biological aging and overall mortality risk.

Metric | What It Means

**Aging Velocity** | Measures how fast cells are breaking down relative to a client's actual age. Obesity accelerates biological aging through inflammation and metabolic stress, shortening healthy years and increasing all-cause mortality risk.

Notes

All risk categories use the lower / moderate-elevated / higher risk framework aligned with WHO and NIH standards.
These are preliminary risk estimates to improve wellness awareness, not medical diagnoses or substitutes for professional clinical judgment.
Results should be used to help clients understand their risks and motivate action—not to label them with a disease.

If this resolves your issue, no further action is needed.

If the problem persists, contact support and include: the client's scan ID, the specific risk category displaying unexpectedly, and your software version.

Applies to: All Styku configurations with the Health Screen feature.