A new study puts into perspective the different genetic heritages, the cardiovascular and diabetic risks, and the health habits of each one.
Are poor health habits associated with similar increases in the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes in people with varying levels of genetic risk? Cardiologists Abdullah Said, Niek Verweij and Pim van der Harst have tried to answer this complex question. Their work has just been published in the JAMA Cardiology.
Genetic factors and lifestyle both contribute to the risk of developing cardiovascular disease or diabetes, but it was not known until now whether unhealthy lifestyles were associated with a similar increased risk in those at risk. genetics of different intensities.
339,003 people
The genetic risk of developing cardiovascular disease or diabetes is classified as low, medium, or high. “A healthy lifestyle” involves a balanced diet, physical exercise and not consuming addictive products such as alcohol or tobacco.
In this study, the cohort consisted of 339,003 people, aged 40 to 70 years (mean: 56.86 years). 53.6% were women. Data were analyzed from April 2006 to March 2015. During follow-up, 9771 of 339,003 participating individuals (3%) developed coronary artery disease, 7,095 of 333,637 (2.1%) developed atrial fibrillation, 3,145 of 332,971 (0.9%) developed stroke, 11,358 of 234,651 (4.8%) developed hypertension and 4,379 of 322,014 (1.4%) developed diabetes.
Everyone should adopt a healthy lifestyle
Based on these results, the researchers concluded “that a healthy lifestyle is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and of diabetes“, in” a comparable proportion “in patients with a low, intermediate or high genetic predisposition to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The conclusion to the thorny question at the beginning is ultimately very simple: everyone must adopt a lifestyle healthy to minimize cardiovascular or diabetic risk, regardless of genetic background.
In France, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in people over 65, with 150,000 deaths each year. Cardiovascular disease includes coronary heart disease, which affects the coronary vessels supplying the heart muscle; cerebrovascular diseases, affecting the vessels that supply the brain; peripheral arterial disease, affecting arteries in the arms and legs; rheumatic heart disease, due to rheumatic fever, caused by streptococcus; cardiac birth defects and finally venous thrombosis.
Chronic illness
In France, diabetes affects nearly 3.3 million people, or 5% of the population (Institute for Public Health Surveillance; 2015 figures). Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body is unable to use the insulin it produces effectively. This results in a high blood sugar level (glycemia): we speak of hyperglycemia.
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