A large global study investigated how to prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease and death.
Martin Ducret, doctor and journalist at Doctor’s Daily, tells us today about a large global study which sought to find out how to prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease and death by acting on 5 modifiable cardiovascular risk factors.
franceinfo: Explain this study to us?
Martin Ducret: The authors of this work brought together the health data of more than 1.5 million people around the world, thanks to 112 studies carried out in 34 countries. They examined the links between 5 modifiable cardiovascular risk factors: high blood pressure, excess weight, excess bad cholesterol, tobacco consumption and diabetes, with the onset of cardiovascular diseases – such as myocardial infarction or stroke – but also with the occurrence of death regardless of the cause, of cardiovascular origin or not.
And what do the results of this study reveal?
Well, these 5 risk factors, which I have just mentioned, are responsible for almost 60% of cardiovascular diseases in women and a little more than half in men. The study also reveals that these 5 risk factors are involved in approximately 1 in 5 deaths, men and women combined.
And the most harmful risk factor among the 5 – public enemy number 1 in a way – would be high blood pressure, followed further by excess cholesterol, smoking, diabetes and finally excess weight.
Do you insist that these risk factors are modifiable?
Yes exactly, “modifiable” means that we can act on it! And especially at any time of his life. “This means that quitting smoking, even if you have been smoking for 20 or 30 years, helps reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases and deaths. Dr François Raoux, cardiologist at the Montsouris Institute in Paris, explained to me.
So it’s never too late to get started. You can therefore consult a tobacco specialist to stop smoking. We also need to eat better. Less salt to prevent high blood pressure, less fat to reduce excess cholesterol, and less sugar to avoid diabetes. There is also the practice of regular physical activity, to reduce all these risks and control your weight.
And if these healthy lifestyle habits are not enough, your doctor can prescribe medications to control blood pressure and diabetes or to reduce bad cholesterol.