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Contrary to popular myth, heart issues almost never strike people out of the blue, according to a recent study from Northwestern Medicine and Yonsei University in South Korea.
Among the people studied, more than 99% of those who experienced a heart attack, heart failure or stroke had at least one of four particular risk factors before the episode struck. More than 93% had two or more risk factors.
The research was published in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Heart disease is the top cause of death in the U.S. and worldwide. Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death in the U.S.
For the study, researchers pored over up to two decades’ worth of health records on more than 9.3 million adults in South Korea and almost 7,000 people in the U.S. They underwent multiple health screenings during the study period.
The researchers then looked to see how many participants had any of four nonoptimal risk factors prior to suffering a heart-related health event or a stroke. Essentially, “nonoptimal” means levels that are higher than the ideal but not alarmingly elevated.
The nonoptimal risk factors are:
- Blood pressure greater than 120/80 mm Hg, or being treated for high blood pressure
- A total cholesterol level greater than 200 mg/dL, or being treated for high cholesterol
- A fasting glucose (sugar) level greater than 100 mg/dL, or having a diagnosis of or being treated for diabetes
- Past or current tobacco use
The researchers also looked for those who had “clinically elevated” risk factors, defined as:
- Blood pressure greater than 140/90 mm Hg
- A total cholesterol level greater than 240 mg/dL
- A fasting glucose level greater than 126 mg/dL
- Current smoking
At least 90% of patients had at least one clinically elevated risk factor before their first cardiac event or stroke.
Overall, the most common risk factor was high blood pressure. It was present in more than 95% of patients in South Korea and more than 93% in the U.S.
The good news is that the risk factors studied are modifiable, meaning it’s possible to avoid or minimize them.
In a summary of the study findings, Dr. Philip Greenland, professor of cardiology at Northwestern University, says:
“We think the study shows very convincingly that exposure to one or more nonoptimal risk factors before these cardiovascular outcomes is nearly 100%. The goal now is to work harder on finding ways to control these modifiable risk factors rather than to get off track in pursuing other factors that are not easily treatable and not causal.”
For more about how the state of your heart impacts your overall well-being, check out “3 Heart Conditions Linked to Dementia and Declining Brain Health.”
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