Topic of the week: Lifestyle And Heart Disease |

Topic of the week: Lifestyle And Heart Disease

Every week, Dr. Paul addresses a specific topic related to health and fitness. Please send in your questions.

Lifestyle and Heart Disease

In reviewing my notes on heart disease, I came across a study that was completed over two years and subsequently published in the journal “Circulation”. What really caught my eye was the age of the participants in the study (middle aged to elderly), the length or span of the study (16 years) and the comparisons made concerning certain “lifestyle” factors throughout the study. These “factors” are the same ones that you have probably read about in this space before but it was great to see them analyzed collectively by unbiased researchers (the only sponsor was the American heart Association). So forgive me if it seems like I’ve suggested this “stuff” before but suffice it to say, “I told you so!”

The study involved nearly 43, 000 male subjects, aged 40 to 75, and attempted to show how five simple lifestyle factors were relevant to their health and survival (death rates). The study also included, within the test population, some individuals who were already taking medications for hypertension and high blood lipid profiles (high cholesterol). Regular readers of TOTW should not be surprised by the findings. In essence, the five-lifestyle “habits” were: not smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, regular daily exercise of at least 30 minutes, healthy weight (measured as BMI—see “TOTW “Body Mass Index”) and a “healthy diet”. Here’s what the researchers found.

Of all the actual “coronary events” (heart attacks) that took place during the length of the study (16 years), 65% could have been avoided by following the health habits listed in the above paragraph! That’s 2 out of 3 heart attacks! And even the group taking medications showed a reduction in “coronary events” of 57%! Many Americans unfortunately still believe that medications are the easy answer to an unhealthy lifestyle. This study shows that the “answer” is uncomplicated and cheap but does require some EFFORT! Even more interesting was the fact that those subjects that “adopted” two or more of the lifestyle habits DURING the study time frame (in other words, they were not part of their health regime for decades before the study) reduced their chances of coronary heart disease by 27%. The walk away message is, of course, that it’s never too late to BECOME a healthier person through exercise and other comparatively simple lifestyle changes. And I KNOW that you’ve heard that before—from ME!

So there’s the proof. The choice is yours. Making the right decision can really be a matter of life or death. Give it some thought—and get moving!

I’m Dr. Paul Kennedy and that’s the “Be Fit, Stay Fit” Topic of the Week. Good luck with YOUR program I KNOW you can do it!