Preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention│Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Scientific Sessions 2024 reveals a significant correlation between ideal cardiovascular health in young adults and a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease later in life.
Analysing health data from nearly 4 million young adults in Korea, the study found that those with optimal cardiovascular health had a 65% lower risk of developing these conditions than those with poor heart health scores.
Lead study author, Dr Hokyou Lee from Yonsei University College of Medicine, emphasised the often overlooked significance of ideal heart health behaviours in young adults, given the common occurrence of cardiovascular and kidney diseases even among this demographic. The study, which assessed participants’ heart health using modifiable lifestyle behaviours and health measures outlined by the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple seven metrics, discovered several key findings:
- Young adults with perfect heart health scores experienced a substantial risk reduction of cardiovascular or kidney disease over a 12-year follow-up period.
- The risk of developing these diseases decreased progressively with higher heart health scores.
- Individuals whose scores improved over time also saw a decrease in disease risk compared to those with consistently low scores.
While the study highlighted the importance of achieving and maintaining ideal cardiovascular health from a young age, it also noted that only a small percentage of participants began with optimal heart health scores. Many experienced declines within a few years. Nonetheless, those who managed to maintain or improve their cardiovascular health exhibited a lower risk of disease compared to those with persistently low scores.
Dr Monica C. Serra from UT Health San Antonio emphasised the importance of early awareness of risk factors and intervention, advocating for adopting healthy lifestyle behaviours in young adulthood to prevent future cardiovascular and kidney diseases. She underscored the comprehensive assessment provided by the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 metrics and highlighted the potential for positive health outcomes through lifestyle modifications.
Source: American Heart Association
Image Credit: iStock
