Nearly All Heart Disease Cases Linked to Modifiable Risk Factors, Study Finds
A new study reveals that over 99% of heart disease cases are associated with modifiable risk factors, meaning individuals can take steps to lower their risk before developing the condition. The research, published recently, underscores the potential for preventative measures to dramatically reduce the global burden of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide.
While the underlying diseases causing heart problems haven’t changed, the ability to proactively manage risk factors offers a powerful new perspective on heart health. The study identifies a range of factors – from blood pressure and cholesterol to lifestyle choices like diet, exercise, and stress levels – that contribute significantly to cardiovascular disease risk. This finding emphasizes that heart disease isn’t simply a matter of genetics or fate, but often a consequence of factors within an individualS control.
“Managing high blood pressure is often a good place to start, and just getting a blood pressure cuff means you can get a sense of your levels at home,” said Dr. Joynt Maddox. She recommends working with a doctor to monitor risk factors and create a personalized management plan.
Researchers also highlighted the importance of addressing lifestyle factors.”In addition to the clinical risk factors studied in the research, it is indeed also crucial to improve your lifestyle risk factors,” explained Dr. Tawakol. maintaining good sleep, regular exercise, a nutritious diet, a healthy weight, and low stress levels are all crucial for lowering cardiovascular disease risk.
The study found that factors like stress and depression can be as potent risk factors as smoking and diabetes, according to dr. Tawakol. “For example, stress and depression turn out to be as potent risk factors as smoking and diabetes,” he said.
The findings offer hope for extending health spans through a combined approach to prevention. “I’m hoping that the more we double down and show the efficacy of treating all these things together, that more people will combine these approaches and actually enjoy much longer health spans,” Dr.Tawakol stated.
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