Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in America according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; but new research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that as many as 50 percent of those deaths are due to preventable risk factors.
The study’s researchers analyzed the responses of a phone-based behavioral risk factor survey conducted in 2009 and 2010. More than half a million individuals between the ages of 45 and 79 participated in the survey. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was also included in the analysis.
Researchers said that in 2010, if it were possible to eliminate each case of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and smoking, 54 percent of heart disease deaths in men and 50 percent of heart disease deaths in women could have been prevented. Of those five risk factors, smoking and high blood pressure were the most common preventable risk factors.
Sadly, the study found that America is not faring well when it comes to eliminating these risk factors. Even the five U.S. states with the lowest instances of preventable risk factors are not performing that well. Researchers say that if all U.S. states matched the levels of the top five performing states, only five percent of heart disease deaths would be prevented.
Almost 80 percent of the individuals who participated in the phone survey analyzed by the study had at least one risk factor.
“By the time they’re in this age range what we’re seeing is it doesn’t matter what state you’re in, you’re very likely to have at least one of these risk factors,” said Shivani A. Patel, the study’s lead author.
Researchers hope the study will shed light on the importance of treating these risk factors and educating Americans on the importance of preventing them altogether.
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