The screening of cardiovascular risk factors in primary care is based on a global approach to risk, combining, within the therapeutic relationship, clinical and educational aspects. Drawing on an interactionist approach, we show that, in a context of uncertainty, training the patient to become autonomous does not only imply the objectification and individualization of risk. It also includes, at a broader level, the negotiation of an agreement on what constitutes an acceptable risk. Patient education appears thus to be inscribed in a set of expectations and mutual commitments involving professionals and patients, whose aim, ultimately, is to strengthen trust within the therapeutic relationship.