[Grammar] Cigarette smoking is the major risk factor_________picks disease

[kite]

Dear teachers,
In the blank, which preposition should I use?

Thanks.

 

[Rover_KE]

You should try first.

What is the source of this sentence? Are you sure you've transcribed it correctly? It lacks two capital letters and a full stop for a start.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'm intrigued to know what "picks disease" is and how one gets/treats it.

 

[kite]

Cigarette smoking is the major risk factor for Picks disease. How about now? To be honest, I too do not know what picks disease is. I just wanted to know the correct preposition.

 

[emsr2d2]

Pick's Disease (note the apostrophe).

I note that your choice of preposition is "for". Whilst I don't think that "for" is entirely wrong, the usual preposition in this context is "in".

There are many risk factors in lung disease.
Smoking is a major risk factor in many cancers.

 

[Tdol]

I don't know if it's just me, but both for and in sound fine.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I don't know if it's just me, but both for and in sound fine.

It's not just you. For me, the difference is sometimes "for" (developing) Pick's Disease and "in" (someone who has) Pick's disease.

 

[Raymott]

I agree with Mike. There's a technicality. 'For' implies "for developing", while 'in' tends to mean "in the progression of".
That's the way it's mostly used in medical circles.

Lack of birth control is a major risk factor for pregnancy.
In pregnancy, it's not a risk factor at all.
Bacterial infections are a risk factor in HIV.
Bacterial infection are not a risk factor for HIV.