Written by Isabel Williams, via SWNS

Poor people are at higher risk of heart disease, new research suggests.

It was generally believed that poor people’s environment and lifestyle actually protected them from heart disease.

However, the prevalence of obesity and hypertension among the poor in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is actually worsening the situation.

Heart disease is the world’s leading cause of death, and a team from the University of Birmingham, Stanford University, and two German universities surveyed 78 countries for the study.

This is the largest analysis of its kind, examining the relationship between poverty and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and obesity.

Most adults living in extreme poverty were not receiving treatment for these CVD-related symptoms.

The researchers say their findings, published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, contradict the common assumption that the environment and lifestyle of people living in extreme poverty in LMICs protect against CVD risk factors. He points out that it is contradictory.

Professor Justin Davis, from the University of Birmingham, said: “Our research challenges conventional wisdom about the relationship between poverty and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors.”

“As LMICs develop economically, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among the poorest segments of society increases, leading to unhealthy weight gain along with increases in diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension.”

To arrive at the results, the international team pooled data from 105 nationally representative household surveys across 78 countries.

The countries included in the researchers’ dataset include an estimated 85 percent of individuals living in extreme poverty worldwide, 53 percent of the world’s population, and 64 percent of the world’s population living in small and medium-sized cities. I am.

“Our detailed analysis of how the prevalence and treatment coverage of CVD risk factors differs around the world shows that CVD risk among vulnerable populations is changing,” said Pascal Gerdsetzer, assistant professor at Stanford University in California. “This could help effectively target mitigation interventions and policies.”

“Furthermore, our study provides an important empirical foundation for future efforts to improve the health status of people living in the poorest parts of global society.”

This study demonstrates that CVD risk factors affect individuals across the socio-economic spectrum, including those living in extreme poverty in countries at all levels of economic development. .

The research team hopes that the results will be useful for health policy in LMICs.

“People living in extreme poverty experience higher prevalence of CVD risk factors and lower levels of treatment for these diseases,” said Till Bernhausen, professor at Heidelberg University in Germany. “This suggests that we need to reevaluate our health care policies.”

“Understanding how the assumption of low prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors among people in extreme poverty holds implications for health policy and policy decisions, both from an equity and effectiveness perspective. It is important in setting priorities in care delivery.”

Professor Sebastian Vollmer from Germany’s University of Göttingen said: “Further research into the mechanisms of CVD risk that particularly affect individuals living in extreme poverty is essential. Different groups may be more susceptible to CVD risk. “It is important to clarify the various pathways through which this phenomenon occurs.” It is essential to reduce that risk. ”