Heart disease, like hypertension or a heart attack, usually manifests in adulthood, with the peak age for heart attacks in men being age 65. It is known that the disease has been going on for a very long time by the time that it is detected. What is not as clear is for how long.
A new study “Trajectory of Cardiovascular Health Across Childhood and Adolescence” indicates that the risk in the risk of heart disease and the decline in cardiovascular health (CVH) begins to take a turn for the worse at the very young age of 10 years old!
HEART DISEASE STUDY
The American Heart Association put forth the Life’s Essential 8 construct to assess cardiovascular health (CVH) based on 8 behavioral and health factors: Eat Better, Be More Active, Quit Tobacco, Get Healthy Sleep, Manage Weight, Control Cholesterol, Manage Blood Sugar, and Manage Blood Pressure.
Few studies have characterized the natural history of heart disease (CVH) in early life or identified its sociodemographic determinants. A higher CVH score indicates better health features and a drop in the CVH score indicates more risk.
Among 1523 children, 782 (51) were male. The mean CVH score was 83) in early childhood, 84 in mid-childhood, 82 in early adolescence, and 74 in late adolescence.
The estimated mean age of inflection when the CVH score declined was 10 years for both male and female children.
STUDY CONCLUSIONS
“This study provides insight into the trajectory of CVH early in life, which may contribute to CVH disparities in adulthood, and identified modifiable health behaviors for focused prevention efforts to optimize CVH in early life,” wrote the authors in conclusion.
As for why cardiovascular health begins to worsen around age 10, the authors pointed to behavioral changes that affect diet, physical activity, and sleep duration that typically occur at this time of life, adding that adolescents may start to smoke as well contributing to the risk of heart disease.
In an accompanying editorial to the article, the viewpoint was that “It’s never too early to think about your heart health. I think we tend to wait until something goes wrong, until you’re older and you develop high blood pressure, or God forbid, have a heart attack. But promoting cardiovascular health early and staying healthy throughout the life course and early in the life course is really important.”
About the author: Dr. Joel Kahn is one of the world’s top cardiologists and he is passionate about scientifically showing the body’s ability to heal itself through proper nutrition. He is on a mission to try to prevent heart disease and all future heart attacks by educating and inspiring people to follow an active and holistic lifestyle by applying cutting-edge science to their lives.
At his core, Dr. Joel Kahn believes that plant-based nutrition is the most powerful source of preventative medicine on the planet. Having practiced traditional cardiology since 1983, it was only after his own commitment to a plant-based vegan diet that Dr. Kahn truly began to delve into the realm of non-traditional diagnostic tools, prevention tactics, and nutrition-based recovery protocols.
As with anything you read on the internet, this heart disease article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN does not agree or disagree with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement. Additionally, it is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
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References/Sources/Materials provided by:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/article-abstract/2827837
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/article-abstract/2827838
https://worldhealth.net/news/want-live-longer-aim-high-life-essential-8-score-early-life/
