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A large study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that 99% of those who experience heart attacks and strokes have at least 1 of the 4 biggest risk factors. By tracking health records for more than a decade in more than 9.3 million adults in South Korea and nearly 7,000 adults in the United States, researchers found that virtually all subjects had at least 1 major cardiovascular risk factor beforehand, and more than 93% had 2 or more.
The 4 measured risks included:
- Elevated blood pressure (≥120/80 mm Hg or on treatment)
- High total cholesterol (≥200 mg/dL or on treatment)
- Elevated fasting glucose (≥100 mg/dL, diabetes diagnosis, or on treatment)
- Current or past tobacco use
Hypertension was the most common issue, affecting more than 95% of South Korean patients and 93% of U.S. patients. Even among women younger than age 60, at least 95% still had at least 1 risk factor.
Focus on what you can do: All 4 risk factors are preventable and can be managed. The senior author notes in a separate Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine post: “The goal now is to work harder on finding ways to control these modifiable risk factors rather than to get off track in pursuing other factors that are not easily treatable and not causal.”