Health
Heart Risks Linked to Preventable Factors
Health Points
- Nearly every heart attack, stroke, or case of heart failure involved at least one common risk factor.
- Most people had more than one risk factor without always realizing it.
- High blood pressure was the most frequently observed risk factor in the study groups.
Almost all heart events are tied to at least one factor like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or high blood sugar, according to a recent international study.
Researchers found that 99 percent of adults examined had developed at least one known risk factor before experiencing major heart problems.
“We often think that heart disease can happen without warning, but there is almost always a warning sign,” says study coauthor Sadiya S. Khan, MD, professor of cardiovascular epidemiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Many participants were unaware they had multiple risks before their heart issues, highlights lead author Hokyou Lee, MD, PhD, of Yonsei University College of Medicine.
“More importantly, these risk factors rarely existed alone,” Dr. Lee notes, with over 9 in 10 people facing two or more factors.
Risk factors were common across ages and genders, even among women under 60, where more than 95 percent had at least one risk indicator.
High blood pressure led the list, affecting up to 96 percent in the study, while smoking habits were seen in about two-thirds of participants.
Though the research can’t conclusively prove cause, it highlights the strong link between known risk factors and heart events.
“The most striking result is that almost every case of heart disease, stroke, or heart failure happened in people who already had at least one common risk factor,” Dr. Yu Chen, PhD, MPH, observes. “It shows these diseases rarely occur out of the blue.”
How to Lower Your Heart Disease Risk
- Aim for seven to nine hours of restful sleep each night.
- Maintain a healthy weight, with a BMI between 18.5 and 25.
- Regularly check and manage cholesterol with your health provider.
- Monitor and keep blood sugar in a healthy range with your doctor’s help.
- Control high blood pressure through healthy habits and medications if needed.
“Instead of trying to treat risk factors once they develop, or treat heart disease after it develops, talking to your doctor proactively is an important step because you can discuss options to reduce your risk for ever developing the condition,” Dr. Khan advises.
Interested in more guidance on managing heart health? Discover prevention tips and detailed recommendations for a healthier future.
