Better Heart Healthy Habits Could Reduce Cardiovascular Disease, but Few Americans Meet All Seven AHA Targets

The American Heart Association  recently recommended seven cardiovascular health targets that can encourage the general population to improve cardiovascular. They include: being physically active; not smoking; having normal blood pressure, blood glucose, total cholesterol levels, and weight; and eating a healthy diet. But a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that less  than 2% of Americans meet these seven recommended heart health targets, even though results indcated that eliminating these risks could dramatically reduce the risk of heart disease.  Unfortunately, the researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the number of Americans meeting all seven heart health targets actually dropped from 2% in 1998-1994 to 1.2% in 2005-2010.  The prevalence of meeting six or more cardiovascular health targets was 10.3%  in 1988-1994 and declined to 8.8%  in 2005-2010.  Findings were also worse at the bottom end of the metrics.  The prevalence of those  meeting one or fewer cardiovascular health metrics increased from 7.2% in the earlier period  to 8.8% in 2005-2010. 

It's disappointing that even with greater access to medical care, generally improved health literacy and health information available via the Internet and social media, Americans' overall cardiovascular risk is increasing, rather than declining.

What you can do:  Take steps to improve your diet and exercise regimens and to read nutrition labels to avoid unnecessary refined sugars and cholesterol.  If you smoke, get help through various smoking cessation programs that are available online or through your doctor.