A recent study has revealed that nearly 90% of adults aged 20 and above in the United States face a heightened risk of developing heart disease.
While this figure doesn't signify that the majority of American adults already have developed the disease, it does underscore the significant risk prevalent across age groups, including younger individuals.
CMK Syndrome Related To Heart Disease
Researchers have pinpointed individuals at heightened risk through a newly established syndrome that considers the strong correlations among heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and kidney disease, as detailed in the latest research published in JAMA.
The American Heart Association issued a warning to healthcare professionals in October regarding cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, a condition impacting vital organs like the brain, heart, liver, and kidneys.
CKM is categorized into stages ranging from zero-indicating no heart disease risk factors-to 4-encompassing individuals with diagnosed heart disease along with excessive body fat, metabolic risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes, or kidney disease.
In this recent study, researchers delved into nearly a decade's worth of data from over 10,000 participants enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
Dr. Rahul Aggarwal, a cardiology fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, and co-author of the study, expressed surprise at the study's outcomes, noting that almost 90% of participants met the established criteria. This figure surpassed expectations, particularly within a database including younger adults.
Of notable concern was the discovery that nearly half of NHANES participants fell into stage 2 of CKM, indicating moderate risk due to factors like high blood sugar, hypertension, high cholesterol, or chronic kidney disease, as highlighted by Aggarwal.
Carrying excess weight amplifies the likelihood of developing high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol, irrespective of one's overall weight status.
Notably, individuals aged over 65 exhibited a higher propensity for advanced-stage CKM compared to those aged 45 to 64.
Contrary to assumptions, youth did not provide significant protection, with only 18% of individuals aged 20 to 44 registering at stage zero-signifying no risk factors.
These findings underscore the critical need for healthcare providers to proactively identify these conditions sooner to prevent potential adverse outcomes like heart attack, heart failure, and stroke, emphasized Aggarwal.
The imperative is to implement earlier diagnoses and adopt more assertive treatment approaches.
Affecting Young Adults in America
Aggarwal remarked that young adults, specifically those under 45 years old, do not exhibit the level of healthiness previously assumed.
The unexpectedly high rates of CKM also surprised experts, prompting Dr. Sripal Bangalore, a professor of medicine and director of invasive and interventional cardiology at NYU Langone Health, to express alarm.
He attributed these statistics to the widespread issues of overweight and obesity.
"We have a lot of work to do to reduce the rates of overweight and obesity," Bangalore emphasized. "If we can do that, then hopefully we can reduce the number of people who progress to stage 2 and also move the needle down for higher stages."
Dr. Adriana Hung, a kidney specialist and epidemiologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, highlighted the logical inclusion of kidney disease in cardiovascular risk assessments.
She pointed out that studies indicate a significant increase in cardiovascular disease risk when kidney disease is present, underscoring the interconnectedness of these health conditions.
Dr. Robert Rosenson, the director of lipids and metabolism at Mount Sinai Health System, noted that the comprehensive approach to heart disease in the study could help identify more individuals at risk.
He emphasized the study's key message regarding the impact of common behaviors on long-term health outcomes, stressing the cumulative effect of diseases on quality of life and longevity.
Rosenson also linked the substantial number of CKM cases in the study to factors like overweight, obesity, insulin resistance, and diets high in fat and salt.
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