Poor Heart Health in Middle Age

Most Americans have hearts in poor health in middle age, especially African American ones according to some new research. In fact, only one person out of every 1,933 study participants evaluated met the American Heart Association’s criteria for ideal cardiovascular health. Surprising to researchers since these subjects had volunteered to take part in a study looking into healthy hearts.

You have a healthy heart if you do not smoke, are a healthy weight for your height (a BMI under 25), are physically active on a regular basis and eat a balanced, healthy diet. Beyond this, you need to have three basic traits of heart health – cholesterol under 200, blood pressure no higher than 120/80, and a fasting blood sugar level under 100. All seven constitute “ideal” heart health and were released last year by the AHA as the “Simple 7?.

The subjects evaluated in this latest work were between 45 and 75 years old (mean age 59). Of the total, half were African American, two thirds were female. Most had attended college and earned at least $40,000 a year.

Under 10% of the study subjects met a minimum of 5 of the criteria for a healthy heart. Just 2% behaved in a heart healthy way. What’s worse, African American subjects had a 82% lower chance than their white counterparts of meeting five of the healthy heart criteria. More than 80% of the participants were either overweight or obese, and this is likely to have been an important influence on other factors and behaviors. Dangerously high, or elevated cholesterol levels, and elevated or high blood pressure readings were also quite common among the subjects.

The study also found…

- The number of subjects who had five or more heart health components went down significantly as they got older and incomes fell.

- African Americans experienced a much poorer health status in every area of heart health with the exception of total cholesterol numbers.

- Males had a greater chance of being a smoker or former smoker than women did.

- Men also had a greater likelihood of carrying too much weight and suffer from high blood pressure.

- Women ranked below men on being active and their total cholesterol numbers.

- Fewer than 40% of the subjects had at least three of the recommended 5 a day.

It seems that the numbers of people with ideal heart health is very low in a very good size sample of middle-aged people – a snapshot of most adults in the United States. Especially troubling because heart disease is a leading killer the world over. The AHA has set a goal to reduce deaths from heart disease 20% by the year 2020.

In an editorial that accompanies the study, the AHA goal is supported. It suggests medical professionals might need the “moonshot mentality” to get us there in time. At the least we’ll need to change how we all think about food, our bodies, and keeping them healthy. Social changes, access to healthcare, changes in our physical environments and public policy are also part of the puzzle when it comes to getting more hearts in better health in middle age.