What you do in your 20s Can Impact Your Heart Health in Your 40s

26th November 2012

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle from young adulthood into your 40s is strongly associated with low cardiovascular disease risk in middle age, according to a new study.

The study, the first to show the association of a healthy lifestyle maintained throughout young adulthood and middle age with low cardiovascular disease risk in middle age, found that even people with a family history of heart problems were able to have a low cardiovascular disease risk profile if they started living a healthy lifestyle when they were young,

The majority of people who maintained five healthy lifestyle factors from young adulthood were able to remain in this low-risk category in their middle-aged years. The lifestyle factors studied were: a lean body mass index (BMI); no excess alcohol intake; no smoking; a healthy diet; and regular physical activity.

Liu K et al. Healthy Lifestyle Through Young Adulthood and the Presence of Low Cardiovascular Disease Risk Profile in Middle Age: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in (Young) Adults (CARDIA) Study. Circulation, 2012; 125 (8): 996-1004.

Categories: Nutritional News, Sport & Exercise, Healthy Aging, Metabolic Health