A new report appearing online in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals that techniques used to determine the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke may be misleading, making some people believe their risk is much lower than it actually is.
Currently, methods used to assess heart attack and stroke risk look at the likelihood a cardiac event will happen sometime in the next 10 years. However, researchers have determined that a person’s lifetime risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke is often much higher than 10-year estimates indicate.
To perform the 50-year study, researchers followed more than 250,000 adults, who represented 18 separate age cohorts. Beginning at age 45, researchers examined each individual’s cardiac risk factors, including their blood pressure and cholesterol levels, whether they smoked and whether they had diabetes, as well as their current cardiovascular health. Each decade this process was repeated until participants reached the age of 75.
Results of the study revealed that many adults who are considered low risk actually have a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease or experiencing a heart attack or stroke at some point during the remainder of their life. Researchers also noted that if a person has even two of the four considered risk factors his or her chance of developing cardiovascular disease increases 50 percent.
Researchers believe the results of the study will allow the cost and societal health ramifications of heart disease to be more clearly projected. Results also reinforced the value of taking preventive measures, such as smoking cessation, exercising, eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight, to protect heart health.
February is American Heart Month. Locally, you can take charge of your heart health by participating in Erlanger Health System's Heart Smart Saturday event on Saturday, February 4. Cholestech and glucose screenings will be provided free of charge from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Cardiologists from UT Erlanger Cardiology will also be hosting presentations and a question-and-answer session from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration for Heart Smart Saturday is required. Reservations may be made by calling 423-778-LINK (5465).
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