Cardiovascular Health Improvements in US May Be Slowing-Possibly Reversing

The number of American adults considered 'low risk' for heart disease has fallen below 10 percent, according to a new study, which places the spotlight on the growing need to address the risk via nutrition.

Published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, the paper reveals that the progress in heart health that had been made during the 1970s and 1980s has now been reversed. According to the authors, only 7.5 percent of Americans between the ages of 25 and 74 were in the low risk category in 1999-2004. The figure for adults rated low risk was 10.5 percent in 1988-94.

The study, Trends in the Prevalence of Low Risk Factor Burden for Cardiovascular Disease Among United States Adults, created a low-risk index based on the following five factors:
• Not currently smoking• Total cholesterol below 200 (mg/dL) and not using cholesterol-lowering drugs• Blood pressure (systolic/diastolic) below 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) without using blood pressure-lowering medication• Body mass index (BMI) less than 25 kg/m2• Never diagnosed with diabetes.

Nutrition: Quantity & Quality

Adults at low risk of heart disease are those unlikely to develop cardiovascular disease or the associated risk factors. The researchers said that from a preventive health point of view, it was disappointing that less than 10 percent of Americans are meeting all the low-risk factors.
"Our analysis suggests that achieving low risk status for most US adults remains a distant and challenging goal. Unfortunately, the limited strides that were made towards this goal during the 1970s and 1980s were eroded by the increases in excess weight, diabetes and hypertension during more recent decades," said lead author Earl Ford of the US Public Health Services at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Ga.

The report found that while fewer adults are smoking, an increasing proportion are developing high blood pressure or diabetes or becoming overweight or obese.

While excessive weight continues to be a rising challenge, the quality of nutrition continues to play an important role in heart health promotion and disease prevention. Diets incorporating the right types of fibers, fats and other nutrients such as plant sterol and potassium can actively work to reduce blood levels of cholesterol, hypertension or the onsight of Type II diabetes. Yet, there remains tremendous confusion over nutrients and diets whose benefits are supported by strong science.

Source: Trends in the Prevalence of Low Risk Factor Burden for Cardiovascular Disease Among United States AdultsCirculation. 2009 Published online before print September 14, 2009doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.835728Authors: Earl S. Ford MD, MPH, Chaoyang Li MD, PhD, Guixiang Zhao MD, PhD, William S. Pearson PhD, and Simon Capewell MD