The benefits of healthy habits are well established. These
benefits include boosting mood, weight control and combating diseases. However,
it is uncertain whether making health behavior changes as an adult can still
alter coronary artery disease risk.
Source: HEALTH
AND WELLNESS BLOG INDIA
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| Prevent Cardiovascular Disease |
To fin d out if making health behavior changes will change the
risk of coronary artery disease, Dr. Bonnie Spring, PhD, professor in
preventive medicine, Director, Center for Behavior and Health - Institute for
Public Health and Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of
Medicine and lead investigator of this study along with colleges examined
healthy lifestyle behaviors and coronary artery calcification and thickening
among 3,538 young adults, aged 18 to 30 years and who had participated in the
Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.
Researchers evaluated five healthy lifestyle factors (not
overweight/obese, low alcohol intake, healthy diet, physically active,
nonsmoker) at baseline and 20 years later. The team tested whether change from
year 0 to 20 in a continuous composite healthy lifestyle factors score is
associated with atherosclerosis at 20 years.
After adjusting for demographics, medications, and baseline
healthy lifestyle factors the results showed by 20 years 25.3% of the study
participants had added at least one healthy lifestyle behavior.
Each increase in healthy lifestyle factors was associated with
reduced odds of detectable coronary artery calcification and lower intima-media
thickness – two major markers of cardiovascular disease that can predict future
cardiovascular events.
Among participants 34.4% stayed the same.
In their conclusion the researchers write “Healthy lifestyle
changes during young adulthood are associated with decreased risk and unhealthy
lifestyle changes are associated with increased risk for subclinical
atherosclerosis in middle age.”
According to Dr. Spring, “This finding is important because it
helps to debunk two myths held by some health care professionals.” The first is
that it’s nearly impossible to change patients’ behaviors. Yet, we found that
25 percent of adults made healthy lifestyle changes on their own. The second
myth is that the damage has already been done – adulthood is too late for
healthy lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of developing coronary artery
disease. Clearly, that’s incorrect. Adulthood is not too late for healthy
behavior changes to help the heart.”
The study also found that 40.4 % of participants had fewer healthy
lifestyle factors and gained more bad habits as they aged. Each decrease in
healthy lifestyle factor had greater odds of coronary artery calcification
(odds ratio=1.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–1.33) and greater intima-media
thickness (β=+0.020, P<0.01).
"It's not too late," comments Dr. Spring. "You're
not doomed if you've hit young adulthood and acquired some bad habits. You can
still make a change and it will have a benefit for your heart.”
"If you don't keep up a healthy lifestyle, you'll see the
evidence in terms of your risk of heart disease," said Dr. Spring.
According to Dr. Spring the healthy changes people in the study
made are attainable and sustainable. She offers some tips for those who want to
embrace a healthy lifestyle at any age:
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| Burn Your Fat & Control Healthy Body Weight |
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Keep a healthy body-weight
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Don’t smoke
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Engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate to
vigorous activity five times a week
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No more than one alcoholic drink a day for
women, no more than two for men
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Eat a healthy diet, high in fiber, low in
sodium with lots of fruit and vegetables
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This study is published in the journal
Circulation.
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