A vast global study reveals that 99% of heart attacks and strokes are linked to just four well-known risk factors — debunking the myth of “a heart attack that comes out of nowhere”.
Almost all heart disease originates from one or more of four problems — which can be prevented.
According to a new study, more than 99% of heart attacks, strokes and cases of heart failure are preceded by non-ideal values of one or more of four culprits well known: high blood pressure, cholesterol high, high levels of blood sugar or consumption of tobacco (present or past).
The results were presented in an article recently published in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
“We think the study demonstrates, very convincingly, that exposure to one or more non-ideal risk factors before these cardiovascular events is practically 100%”, says the cardiologist Philip Greenlandresearcher at Northwestern University and lead author of the study, cited by .
For years, cardiologists have been intrigued by cases of people apparently healthy who suddenly suffered a heart attack or stroke. Previous studies suggested that up to one in four of these patients had no warning signs or significant risk factors.
The new study, led by Hokyou Leea researcher at Yonsei University in Seoul, in collaboration with colleagues from the United States and South Korea, shows that the majority of these “mysterious cases” They weren’t that mysterious after all..
The researchers analyzed two large databases: one from the National Health Insurance Service in South Korea, with more than 9 million adults, and another from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis in the USA.
Not totally, followed participants for up to 20 yearsrecording who developed heart disease and what were your health indicators before the first event.
In practically all cases — more than 99% — there was at least one factor of non-ideal risk before the first cardiovascular episode. Even among women under 60, the group with the lowest overall risk, more than 95% of heart attacks and strokes were associated with one of these four conditions.
The study also concludes that It is not necessary to have a “serious” illness to be at risk. Values below clinical thresholds also count. For example, a blood pressure above 120/80 or colesterol total superior a 200 mg/dLlevels that many doctors would consider close to the limit, are already sufficient to increase long-term risk.
A hypertension was by far the most common risk factorpresent before more than 93% of cardiovascular events in both countries. This condition has increasingly revealed itself as a hidden killer: recently, ZAP reported that it is — more than diabetes.
This conclusion has enormous implications, especially since hypertension often continues undiagnosed or untreatedespecially among young adults who rarely measure tension.
“The objective now is redouble efforts to control these risk factors modifiable, instead of deviating to other factors that are difficult to treat and that are not causal”, defended Greenland.
This includes keeping blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar at normal levels. great, not just “acceptable”in addition to completely avoiding tobacco.
“These results not only refute the idea that coronary heart disease events frequently occur without important antecedent risk factors, but also demonstrate that other cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure or stroke, rarely arise in the absence of risk factors non-ideal traditional practices”, conclude the study’s authors.
