November 26, 2010 – There is no secret to maintaining a healthy heart. Adopting healthy lifestyles from early adulthood provides effective protection against cardiovascular disease later in life, regardless of our genetic “background”. This is what 2 teams of American researchers conclude who presented their results in November at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association.
While most young adults have a low cardiovascular risk (defined as low blood pressure and cholesterol, no smoking, no diabetes, or a history of heart attack), they are down to 7%. be in this case around the age of 40 or 50 years. To understand the reasons for this increased risk, a team of researchers observed the profile of 2,500 people followed for 20 years.
The participants, aged 18 to 30 at the start of the study, were classified into groups according to whether or not they followed these 5 lifestyle habits:
- have a healthy weight;
- drink little or no alcohol;
- eat less saturated fat;
- exercise more than average;
- and never have smoked.
After 20 years, more than 60% of people who maintained these 5 habits had retained a low cardiovascular risk, compared to only 6% of people who did not adhere to any of these habits, and 30% of those who did not. followed that 3.
The second study, meanwhile, reveals that cardiovascular health depends much more on lifestyle than on heredity. By observing 16,000 people aged 40 or 50 belonging to 3 generations of various families (Framingham cohort), Donald Lloyd-Jones’ team concluded that genetic factors only influence cardiovascular health up to 18 % at 40, and 13% at 50. Which is good news: since our health depends 85% on our lifestyle.
Marine Corniou – PasseportSanté.net