The five classic risk factors for cardiovascular disease - smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and being underweight or overweight/obese - are widely recognized. A recent study emphasizes that while aging individuals might still face cardiovascular disease risks, those maintaining a healthy lifestyle free of these factors at age 50 tend to have longer life and health spans.
The study findings were presented at the American College of Cardiology’s scientific sessions and published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The research was conducted by the Global Cardiovascular Risk Consortium, involving medical experts from various institutions, including Baylor College of Medicine.
Dr. Christie M. Ballantyne, professor of medicine at Baylor College, highlighted the study's significance, saying, “The findings underline the significant role these risk factors play in life expectancy and in how long a person remains healthy as they age.”
The research analyzed data from over two million people across 39 countries, marking one of the most comprehensive investigations into the impact of these risk factors on life expectancy. Baylor's involvement came through the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, an ongoing large-scale research project in the United States.
Dr. Christina Magnussen, lead author from the University Heart and Vascular Center Hamburg, Germany, stated, “The five classical risk factors are responsible for approximately half of all cardiovascular diseases worldwide. We wanted to understand how the absence or control of these factors affects life expectancy.”
The study shows that women free from these risk factors at age 50 develop cardiovascular disease 13.3 years later and die 14.5 years later than those with all five factors. Similarly, men without these risk factors live 10.6 years longer without cardiovascular disease and die 11.8 years later.
Importantly, the study also found that lifestyle changes later in life are beneficial. In particular, controlling blood pressure was linked to more years of healthy life. Individuals who manage their blood pressure or quit smoking at 55 to 60 live longer and remain free of cardiovascular disease for a longer period compared to those who do not manage these risk factors.
For additional information on authors, affiliations, and funding, refer to the full publication.
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