Young adults who lost and then regained heart health had a lower risk of heart attack, stroke

According to new research published today in the flagship journal of the American Heart Association, preserving good cardiovascular health during youth is one of the best ways to reduce the risks of premature heart attack or stroke. Circulation.

The number of premature deaths from cardiovascular disease is rising in many countries, including the United States, although a wealth of information is available on the maintenance of the property. color health during and after middle age to reduce the risks of heart attack and stroke, data on cardiovascular health during adult youth it is scarce.

“Most people lose their ideal cardiovascular health before they reach middle age, but few young people they have immediate health problems and many don’t usually seek medical attention until they reach middle age, ”says the study’s lead author, Hyeon Chang Kim, MD, Ph.D., a professor in the department’s preventive medicine department. Yonsei University School of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea. “We need strategies to help preserve or restore heart health in this population because we know that poor heart health in young adults is related to premature cardiovascular disease. “

Using Korea’s national health insurance services, a nationwide health insurance database, Kim and colleagues analyzed information gathered from more than 3.5 million adults who took exams. routine health tests in 2003 and 2004. A subgroup of approximately 2.9 million participants underwent a follow-up health examination between 2005 and 2008. Patients’ ages ranged from 20 to 39 years. years at the time of the first examination, and 65.5% of study participants were men.

Participants were ranked according to the American Heart Association’s Life 7 metrics based on ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) scores. Patients received “one point” toward a cardiovascular health score (CVH) for each of the following measures of Life’s Simple 7: well maintained blood pressure, low total cholesterol, acceptable blood sugar levels, an active lifestyle, healthy weight and no smoking. Note: Healthy nutrition and diet, the final measure of Life’s Simple 7, were not included in this analysis because dietary information was not collected from participants in this database.

The researchers assessed the total number of first hospitalizations or deaths from heart attack, stroke or heart attack heart attack before December 31, 2019 to define the results. The researchers found:

• Rates of premature cardiovascular events (under 55 years) were higher among patients with a CVH score of zero.
• A higher CVH score at one point resulted in a 42% reduction in the risk of heart attack, 30% heart failure, 25% cardiovascular death, and 24% stroke.
• Although people who improved their CVH score over time reduced their risk of hospitalizations or death from a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure, people who started and maintained a Higher CVH scores ultimately had the least chance of hospitalization or death from a heart attack or stroke during the study period.
• Timely and consistent monitoring of heart health between young adults it is important to prevent the premature onset of heart disease and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events.

The results of the study may be limited because the data were routine health screening data, so they may not be as robust as the data collected primarily for a specific study. The study also lacks data on participants ’eating patterns, so researchers modified CVH score metrics to exclude diet. In addition, participants in this study were of Korean descent, so the results may not be generalizable to people from other racial or ethnic groups.