CVD Risk Factor’s Lifetime Effect Estimates

A global analysis of over 2 million individuals from 133 cohorts across 39 countries found that five classic risk factors—high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, underweight/overweight or obesity, diabetes, and smoking—account for about half of the global cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden. Researchers estimated lifetime risks and outcomes up to age 90 based on the presence or absence of these risk factors at age 50. Among individuals with all five risk factors, lifetime CVD risk reached 24% for women and 38% for men. Compared to those with all five risk factors, individuals with none had significantly longer lives free of CVD—13.3 more years for women and 10.6 for men—and also lived longer overall, with 14.5 and 11.8 more years free of death, respectively. Modifying high blood pressure between ages 55–60 yielded the greatest gain in CVD-free years, while quitting smoking at the same age range resulted in the largest increase in overall lifespan. The findings underscore the substantial long-term benefits of avoiding or modifying key risk factors by midlife. Source: https://www.nejm.org/