All articles tagged with #heart disease
New guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and other groups push for earlier attention to cholesterol—potentially starting around age 30—with clearer targets and guidance on when medications like statins may help, alongside lifestyle changes; doctors emphasize regular cholesterol screening and personalized risk assessment to reduce heart disease and stroke risk.
New research from the University of Sydney suggests that small, sustainable changes to daily habits—eating more fruits and vegetables, increasing daily movement, and extending sleep (around 7.2–8 hours) — can measurably improve heart health, healthspan, and lifespan if maintained long-term.
A Prevention-backed study followed 6,814 U.S. adults aged 45–84 without cardiovascular disease for 12 years and found that those who consumed the most ultra-processed foods (about 9 servings per day) were 67% more likely to have a major cardiovascular event than those with about 1.1 servings daily. Each additional daily serving was linked to roughly a 5.1% higher risk, with a stronger pattern seen among Black participants. The results show a correlation, not causation. Ultra-processed foods (e.g., packaged breads, ready meals, sugary snacks) may raise risk by replacing healthier options and adding high sodium, refined carbs, and added sugars. Experts advocate focusing on overall dietary patterns (e.g., Mediterranean-like diets) and an 80/20 approach rather than demonizing single snacks.
A 12-year study of 6,814 U.S. adults found that those averaging about nine servings per day of ultra-processed foods had a 67% higher risk of major cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke, or related death) than those eating ~1 serving. Risk rose about 5.1% with each additional daily serving. The relationship is observational, not causal, with stronger signals among Black participants. The practical take: limit ultra-processed foods and emphasize whole, minimally processed options, aiming for a Mediterranean-style pattern.
A Vanderbilt-led study linking gut bacteria–related metabolites to coronary heart disease identifies three practical habits to boost gut health and lower heart risk: eat mostly plant-based, high-fiber, minimally processed foods (prefer diverse fiber); cook from scratch to cut ultra-processed items; and exercise regularly, which supports a healthier gut microbiome and may reduce cardiovascular risk.
A UK Biobank study of 340,924 adults (2006–2022) found that moderate wine drinkers have about a 21% lower risk of dying from heart disease than non-drinkers, while light beer, cider, or liquor showed no such benefit and may increase heart-disease mortality with some consumption. Heavy drinking raised risks across all-cause mortality (24%), cancer (36%), and heart disease (14%). Possible explanations include compounds in red wine and the tendency to drink with meals, but limitations include self-reported intake and a healthier study population, limiting generalizability. The findings suggest beverage type and lifestyle factors influence alcohol-related health risks more than amount alone.
A study to be presented at the ACC Scientific Session finds deaths from hypertensive heart disease surged fourfold among U.S. women aged 25–44 from 1999 to 2023 (roughly 29,000 deaths). Non-Hispanic Black women had the highest rates, and the South saw the highest regional death rate, with no rural–urban difference detected. Experts urge more aggressive screening and prevention, including lifestyle changes and potential antihypertensive treatment for this demographic.
Washington Post Unearthed columnist Tamar Haspel argues that nutrition science is often murky, but three areas have relatively solid evidence: eat more fiber, limit sodium to help blood pressure, and reduce saturated fat to lower LDL cholesterol, all within a balanced diet.
A diverse US study of about 6,800 adults over roughly 12 years found that each daily serving of ultra-processed foods is linked to higher cardiovascular risk, with Black Americans experiencing nearly double the per-serving increase (6.1% vs 3.2% for other groups); the study, using MESA data, points to foods like chips, white bread, soda and candy and suggests that higher risk may be driven by salt, sugar and fats and by broader structural factors affecting access to healthy foods, though causality can’t be proven.
A diverse U.S. cohort from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis found that each daily serving of ultra-processed foods increases heart-disease risk, with Black Americans facing about a 6.1% per-serving rise versus 3.2% for other groups. Those with the highest ultra-processed intake averaged ~4 servings per day and were ~67% more likely to develop heart disease. Foods like chips, white bread, pizza, soda and candy made up about 28% of daily intake. While the findings reinforce known risks of ultra-processed diets and highlight disparities tied to food access and environment, they show association, not causation, and call for improved access to affordable, healthy options.
Major medical groups—including the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology—issued updated guidelines recommending cholesterol screening and lipid-lowering treatment begin as young as age 30 if lifestyle changes aren’t enough. The guidelines call for measuring lipoprotein(a) once in adulthood, set LDL targets of <100 mg/dL for lower/intermediate risk and <70 mg/dL for high risk, and emphasize statins as the foundation with non-statin therapies considered when needed to reduce long-term heart attack and stroke risk.
A decades-long study suggests heart attack risk begins to rise earlier in life than commonly thought, especially for men, challenging the idea that cardiovascular danger is a midlife issue and underscoring the need for early, lifelong heart-healthy habits around lifestyle and prevention.
New cholesterol guidelines urge starting screening in your 30s and using lifetime risk (via the PREVENT calculator) alongside 10-year risk to guide treatment. Targets are LDL <100 mg/dL for most, <70 mg/dL for high-risk individuals, and <55 mg/dL for those with existing heart disease, with statins considered earlier; the guidance also recommends apoB testing after LDL goals and universal lipoprotein(a) testing once in adulthood, plus calcium scoring for those at borderline/intermediate risk, all aiming to reduce lifetime LDL exposure and prevent cardiovascular events.
A large study finds AI can read breast arterial calcification on routine mammograms to predict cardiovascular risk in women, with mild, moderate, and severe calcifications linked to 30%, 70%, and 2–3 times higher risk, respectively, suggesting screening programs could double as heart-disease risk tools.
A European Heart Journal study shows that artificial intelligence can quantify breast artery calcification on routine mammograms to flag women at higher risk of heart disease, potentially enabling a scalable dual-use screening tool. While promising, researchers stress the approach should complement—not replace—standard cardiovascular risk monitoring, and further trials are planned to validate how BAC scores might inform prevention and treatment.