Severance Hospital Team Tracks Former Health Screening Participants
A study has found that consistently managing cardiovascular health from a young age can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, as well as kidney disease, in middle age by more than 70%.
On October 24, a research team led by Professors Lee Hokyu and Ha Kyunghwa of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Yonsei University College of Medicine, and Professor Ji Jonghyun of the Department of Nephrology at Gangnam Severance Hospital, announced these findings. The team analyzed National Health Insurance big data and tracked 241,924 adults aged 30 who participated in the national health screening program between 2002 and 2004.
The researchers assessed the participants' cardiovascular health at each screening based on six factors: physical activity, smoking, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, blood glucose, and blood lipids. They then calculated each individual's cumulative cardiovascular health score over ten years, from age 30 to 40, and divided the participants into five groups. The team followed up with these groups for an average of 9.2 years.
The results showed that the annual incidence rate of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, as well as kidney disease, was only 0.05% in the top 20% group with the highest cardiovascular health scores. Compared to the bottom 20% group, the top 20% had a 73% lower risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease and a 75% lower risk of kidney disease. The preventive effect against these diseases became more pronounced as cardiovascular health was maintained at higher levels for longer periods.
Cardiovascular Health Linked to Cardiovascular, Cerebrovascular, and Kidney Disease Incidence
In general, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction and stroke, as well as chronic kidney disease, share common risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. These risk factors accumulate from early adulthood and lead to disease in middle age and beyond, making it important to comprehensively assess and manage risk factors from a young age.
Professor Lee Hokyu stated, "Through this study, we comprehensively evaluated cardiovascular health levels in young adults and tracked them over the long term to identify their impact on disease prevention." He added, "The findings demonstrate the need for comprehensive management across the entire life cycle when establishing strategies for the prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases."
The results of this study were published in the international journal 'JAMA Cardiology.'
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