Rebecca Wright04.01.08
A February 11th Reuters article suggests that heart disease may be on the rise. This doesn't surprise me. However, in reading that article, it did surprise me to learn how at risk younger generations are for developing the disease. The situation, according to researchers, may be a lot worse than previously thought.
During the latter half of the 20th century, researchers say heart disease was actually in decline due to cutbacks in smoking and better diets. But as society became more technologically advanced, sedentary, and food rich but nutrient poor, arteries started clogging and blood pressure started rising. And no one really knew how it was impacting young people, until now.
In one study, published in the February edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver evaluated autopsy data from people who died between 1981 and 2004 from unnatural causes. Of 425 subjects investigated, 8% had high-grade disease, while a whopping 83% exhibited early signs of coronary artery disease.
In discussing the implications of this study, one of the authors interviewed by Reuters summed up the findings in one word-shocking. "It is the most definitive evidence I've seen suggesting that today's younger and middle-aged generations may be heading for an increase in their risks of heart disease," he said.
The goal of a second study mentioned in the Reuters article, also published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in February, was to see if patients with high blood pressure were adhering to a diet known to help control high blood pressure. "They looked at data collected from 1988 to 1994, a period before a study in 1997 showed a diet high in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products could significantly lower blood pressure. They compared this to data from 1999 to 2004," the Reuters article said. "What they found was people with hypertension were eating worse, not better." One of the researchers commented on how dietary quality has plummeted over the years, claiming that the youngest age group in his study was the one with the worst disease.
It has never been more important for consumers to take extra care in supporting heart health, particularly young people. But just because consumers know how to prevent issues like high cholesterol and hypertension doesn't mean they will always make the best decisions. And while a portion of consumers would like to blame genetics, Casey Adams, the author of this month's "Hearty Nutraceuticals" article, says most heart conditions can be linked to the lifestyle choices people make. Further, he claims a range of nutraceutical strategies are increasingly being confirmed by research to play a role in supporting heart health.
During the latter half of the 20th century, researchers say heart disease was actually in decline due to cutbacks in smoking and better diets. But as society became more technologically advanced, sedentary, and food rich but nutrient poor, arteries started clogging and blood pressure started rising. And no one really knew how it was impacting young people, until now.
In one study, published in the February edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver evaluated autopsy data from people who died between 1981 and 2004 from unnatural causes. Of 425 subjects investigated, 8% had high-grade disease, while a whopping 83% exhibited early signs of coronary artery disease.
In discussing the implications of this study, one of the authors interviewed by Reuters summed up the findings in one word-shocking. "It is the most definitive evidence I've seen suggesting that today's younger and middle-aged generations may be heading for an increase in their risks of heart disease," he said.
The goal of a second study mentioned in the Reuters article, also published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in February, was to see if patients with high blood pressure were adhering to a diet known to help control high blood pressure. "They looked at data collected from 1988 to 1994, a period before a study in 1997 showed a diet high in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products could significantly lower blood pressure. They compared this to data from 1999 to 2004," the Reuters article said. "What they found was people with hypertension were eating worse, not better." One of the researchers commented on how dietary quality has plummeted over the years, claiming that the youngest age group in his study was the one with the worst disease.
It has never been more important for consumers to take extra care in supporting heart health, particularly young people. But just because consumers know how to prevent issues like high cholesterol and hypertension doesn't mean they will always make the best decisions. And while a portion of consumers would like to blame genetics, Casey Adams, the author of this month's "Hearty Nutraceuticals" article, says most heart conditions can be linked to the lifestyle choices people make. Further, he claims a range of nutraceutical strategies are increasingly being confirmed by research to play a role in supporting heart health.