Ischemic Stroke, Brain Attack

Ideal cardiovascular health:

The American Heart Association (AHA) developed a construct of “ideal cardiovascular health,” targeting 7 behaviors that raise the likelihood of not having to face cardiovascular disease or stroke. These metrics established by the American Heart Association were applied by Artero, EG et al in The Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study to reduce the risk of cardiovascular mortality. They include 4 core behaviors—no smoking, a normal body mass index (BMI), engaging in physical activity, and eating healthfully—and meeting at least 3 of the following criteria: cholesterol lower than 200 mg/dL, blood pressure lower than 120/80 mm Hg, not having diabetes, or being free of heart disease. To assess the effects of meeting these targets on risk of death from cardiovascular disease, Artero and colleagues looked at data from the Aerobics Longitudinal Study, conducted in 11,993 patients between Oct. 9, 1987 and March 3, 1999. The authors found that those who met 3-4 of AHA’s “Simple Seven” heart health criteria had a 55% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality than those who met no more than 2 of those practices over about 11 years. It was 63% lower for those who fulfilled five to seven of the ideal criteria compared with those with the lowest scores However, the overall prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health was extremely low in this middle-aged cohort, with only 0.2% of patients meeting all 7 criteria. (2)