Cardiovascular Health Trajectories From Childhood Through Middle Age and Their Association With Subclinical Atherosclerosis
Cohort study (n=9388) noted significant number of children classified as having intermediate CV health score by age 8 years; many of them experienced more rapid declines in CV health,had greater carotid intima-media thickness(CIMT), and more likely to have high CIMT by middle age
Source:
JAMA Cardiology
SPS commentary:
The researchers suggest that increasing proportion of children who reach adulthood in ideal cardiovascular health may be associated with reduced burden of cardiovascular disease at later age.
This is one of two articles in JAMA Cardiology that add to the growing recognition that assessing longitudinal cardiovascular health is critical for identifying populations at risk for future cardiovascular disease and informing primordial and primary prevention efforts.
The other cohort study, using data from 1445 middle-aged participants from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort, found for each 5-year period participants had intermediate or ideal CV health, they were 33% less likely to develop hypertension, 14% less likely to die, and ~25% less likely to develop diabetes, CKD, or CVD than individuals in poor CV health.
Editorial highlights that populations with more optimal and sustained cardiovascular health metrics, including blood pressure, glucose, weight, cholesterol, diet, activity, and smoking status, have less subclinical atherosclerotic disease early in life and fewer cardiovascular events as they age.