An analysis of health data for nearly 4 million young people in South Korea found that those with ideal cardiovascular health were more likely to experience heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease later in life than those with poor heart health scores. It was found that the risk of developing the disease was approximately 65% ​​lower. Preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Science Session 2024, March 18-21 in Chicago.

In its 2023 Scientific Statement and Presidential Recommendations, the American Heart Association emphasized the link between heart disease and chronic kidney disease and the importance of improving cardiovascular health to prevent them.

“Cardiovascular disease is deadly, and kidney disease is very common even among young adults,” said study lead author Hokyo Lee, Ph.D., associate professor of preventive medicine at Yonsei University School of Medicine. .

“These two diseases often coexist or increase the likelihood of each other, so they need to be prevented together. However, young adults are ideally suited for this treatment because they have lower short-term cardiovascular and renal risks. The importance of behaviors and factors related to heart health is often overlooked.”

In this study, researchers reviewed data from the 2009-2010 Korean National Health Checkup Program to determine how early-life cardiovascular health affects the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease later in life. We investigated whether it would have such an impact.

Participants’ heart health was measured by three modifiable lifestyle behaviors and three health measures (being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking) based on the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 indicators. , blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels). (Note: In 2022, sleep health was added to his seven indicators in the Society for Optimal Cardiovascular Health’s new Life’s Essential 8 scale.)

The analysis revealed the following:

• Young people with perfect heart health scores at enrollment had a 65% lower risk of developing cardiovascular or kidney disease during 12 years of follow-up compared to those with zero ideal cardiovascular health indicators. Ta. Note: In this study, participants were not provided with any dietary measures, so their complete heart health score was 6 out of 6.
• As the heart health score increased, the risk of developing cardiovascular or kidney disease decreased over time.
• Those whose scores improved from low to high during follow-up also had a lower risk of developing cardiovascular and kidney disease than those with consistently low heart health scores.

“Less than 1% of young people had ideal heart health scores at the start of the study, but unfortunately, about half of the young people with perfect or near-perfect cardiovascular health ended up Within a few years, their heart health scores declined: Among young people whose scores declined despite perfect or near-perfect cardiovascular health, those who experienced cardiovascular disease or kidney disease compared with young people who had pre-existing poor heart health and continued to have it,” Lee said.

“Our research highlights the importance of achieving ideal cardiovascular health in young adulthood and maintaining or improving it throughout life. To live longer, we need to improve our heart health. More efforts are needed to raise awareness among young people about implementing and maintaining good lifestyle habits early in life.” Living a Healthier Life.” ”

Research background information:

• The study involved 3,836,283 Korean adults with no history of cardiovascular or kidney disease.
• Participants self-identified as female (38.2%) and male (62.8%).
• Participants ranged in age from 20 to 39 years, with a median age of 31 years at the start of the study.

Limitations of this study included not using the new Life’s Essential 8 health indicators to define cardiovascular health. Furthermore, information about participants’ diets was not available and the study only included people living in South Korea, limiting the generalizability of the findings to other populations.

“The findings of this study highlight the importance of early recognition of risk factors and interventions in young adulthood and the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors to prevent later cardiovascular and kidney disease. ” said Associate Professor Dr. Monica C. Serra. She is a research associate in the Department of Gerontology, Gerontology, and Palliative Medicine at UT Health San Antonio and the Department of Medicine at the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Research in San Antonio, Texas. Serra is co-chair of the program committee for EPI│Lifestyle Science Session 2024.

“Furthermore, this study shows that even people who initially had low heart health scores who improved their cardiovascular health over time had a reduced risk of disease compared to those who had persistently low scores. “This highlights the potential for lifestyle modifications to yield positive health outcomes.”

“Using the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 indicators, which include biometrics such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, as well as modifiable behaviors such as physical activity, weight management, and smoking cessation, we provide a comprehensive picture of heart health. “It is noteworthy that this study did not include a dietary component and recognized the addition of sleep health to the association’s new 8 Life Essentials,” she said. said.

“Overall, this study contributes valuable evidence about the importance of maintaining cardiovascular health in young adults for long-term disease prevention.”