Adherence
Maintaining ideal cardiovascular health behaviors (nonsmoking, BMI ≤25, goal-level physical activity, healthy diet) and factors (untreated cholesterol ≤200, BP ≤120/80, fasting glucose ≤100) significantly reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, and improves longevity.
To maximize your heart health and longevity, focus on four key lifestyle areas: do not smoke, keep your BMI at or below 25, engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week, and eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Additionally, ensure your untreated blood pressure is below 120/80, cholesterol is below 200, and fasting blood glucose is below 100. Achieving all these targets simultaneously offers the strongest protection against heart disease and stroke.
Abundant evidence supports the ideal cardiovascular health construct with respect to longevity, disease-free survival, quality of life, and healthcare costs... women with 3, 4, or all 5 health behaviors, respectively, had 57%, 66%, and 83% lower risks for incident CHD.
Why this rating
Based on large prospective cohort studies (n>80,000) with long follow-up (14-20 years) showing strong dose-response relationships.
Source
Defining and Setting National Goals for Cardiovascular Health Promotion and Disease Reduction
Donald M. Lloyd‐Jones et al. · Circulation · 2010
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