Find out how the management of the five key cardiovascular risk factors before the age of 50 can considerably prolong your healthy years – this global study reveals how small changes can now have effects that change life later.
Study: Global effect of cardiovascular risk factors on life estimates. Image credit: Orawan Pattarawimonchai / Shutterstock
In a recent study published in the New England Journal of MedicineA group of researchers estimated the risk for lifetime and the benefit of the absence or modification of the cardiovascular risk factor on cardiovascular disease and all causes in the world.
Background
What if five modifiable risk factors that you manage at the age of 50 could you buy you an additional ten years of life? Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death in the world, representing one in three out of three in three. Remarkably, five modifiable risk factors – high blood pressure (blood pressure), hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), diabetes, smoking and abnormal body weight (BMI <20 (weight insufficiency) or ≥25 (overweight or obesity)) - are responsible for almost half of this load. Previous studies have shown an increasing risk for lifetime with the increase in the load of the risk factor; However, these are often based on static profiles or regional data. Little is known about how these risk factors influence global life expectancy when changed over time, highlighting the need to continue research.
About the study
Researchers from the Global Cardiovascular Risk Consortium (GCVRC) harmonized data from 2,078,948 people aged 18 or over in 133 cohort studies in 39 countries on six continents. The participants were followed up to 47 years. People with cardiovascular disease initially have been excluded from disease -specific analyzes. Risk factors were evaluated at the age of 50 and lifelong risk estimates have been thrown up to 90 years.
Risk factors included systolic blood pressure ≥130 mm Hg (high blood pressure), cholesterol of non -density lipoproteins (HDL) ≥130 mg / dl (hyperlipidemia), diabetes (via diagnosis or reported history), body mass index (BMI <20 weights) or (overlap or obesity)) and current smoking. Cardiovascular results included a myocardial infarction, stroke or death due to cardiovascular or unknown causes.
Weibull survival models specific to sex have been used to estimate life expectancy without cardiovascular and global disease, taking into account the presence or absence of these risk factors. Additional analyzes have explored the modification of risk factors between ages of 55 and 60 years and how it affected life expectancy. All models represented regional variations using standard deviation thresholds and have been recalibrated using global mortality data from the World Health Organization. Statistical analysis was carried out using R. software.
Study results
Participants with the five risk factors at 50 had to face a risk of lifetime cardiovascular disease of 24% in women and 38% in men. On the other hand, individuals with any of these risk factors had significantly lower risks, with 13% for women and 21% for men. Regarding overall mortality, women with the five risk factors had 88% chance of dying before 90 years, compared to 53% among those who have none. For men, the risk increased from 68% (without risk factors) to 94% (with all risk factors).
Women linked to the five risk factors at 50 years old lived 13.3 additional years without cardiovascular disease and 14.5 years more death compared to those who have the five. Men have gained an additional 10.6 and 11.8 years respectively. The most impactful single risk factors were diabetes and smoking. Women without diabetes lived 4.7 more years without cardiovascular disease and 6.4 years more without death; For men, the gains were 4.2 and 5.8 years respectively. Not smoking added about 5 to 6 years of life for both sexes.
Even modest improvements have helped because the reduction in systolic blood pressure at less than 130 mmHg added 1.3 years (for women) and 1.8 years (for men) of life without cardiovascular disease. Improvement of the BMI at 20-24.9 (normal beach) resulted in women’s additional 2.6 years in women and 1.9 years in men, depending on the region.
The evolution of risk factors that the forties also imported. People who have changed the high blood pressure of the present to the absence of 55 to 60 years have won years without cardiovascular disease: 2.4 years for women and 1.2 years for men. Stopping smoking in this same window added the most death -free years, with 2.1 for women and 2.4 for men. The more risk factors changed, the higher the gains. Participants who have improved four risk factors aged 55 to 60 had more than five more than five years of freedom of cardiovascular disease and death.
The regional differences were notable. In Latin America, women who have reduced their blood pressure have seen almost five -year -old gains without cardiovascular disease. North American women have earned more than an additional five years of life by avoiding hypertension. These results highlight both the world’s common points and local priorities in preventive care.
Above all, even those who have no risk factors are faced with a significant risk of cardiovascular disease, with 13% for women and 21% for men, which suggests that additional unidentified factors also contribute to the disease.
Conclusions
To summarize, the absence of five conventional cardiovascular risk factors – high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking and abnormal BMI – at 50 was linked to more than an additional decade of life without disease and death. The real relevance is high: people of average age who manage to quit smoking or controlling blood pressure can expect significant gains during healthy years. These results offer a convincing argument for an earlier global investment in cardiovascular prevention. They also encourage individuals to modify risk factors even in living in life. Although not all risks are avoidable, the reduction in current modifiable risks can considerably prolong the lifespan and quality of life in the world.