Are You Heart Healthy? Here Are 8 Indicators
- Updated on: 2022-09-14
- Read original article here
Join Now
Using the updated checklist to score cardiovascular health for more than 23,400 adults and children, the AHA found the overall cardiovascular health of Americans is “well below ideal.” The results appear in the AHA journal Circulation. In fact, about 80 percent of the 13,500 adults (ages 20 to 79) included in the study scored at a low or moderate level.
The study measured cardiovascular health on a scale of 0 to 100, creating three ranges: “low” for scores below 50, “moderate” for scores from 50 to 79, and “high” cardiovascular health for scores 80 and above.
Just 19.6 percent of adults in the U.S. have “high” cardiovascular health, 62.5 percent scored “moderate,” and 17.9 percent were “low,” the study found.
Various research studies over the past two decades indicate more than 80 percent of all cardiovascular events may be prevented by healthy lifestyle and management of known cardiovascular risk factors , according to the AHA. So, it’s important to know what you can do to lower your risk.
AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal
Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.
See All
See more Health & Wellness offers >
The AHA Checklist
The AHA checklist first identified seven metrics for cardiovascular health in 2010. The latest update — now up to eight factors — is guided by more than a decade of scientific research. It also attempts to do a better job of discerning racial, ethnic and other demographic differences in heart health.
1. Diet: Score higher by eating more fruit, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, nuts and legumes and consuming less red or processed meat, sweetened drinks and salt.
2. Physical activity: The optimal level is 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or more per week or 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity physical activity, as defined by the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Only 1 in 4 Americans report achieving the optimal level of physical activity, according to the AHA.
3. Nicotine exposure: Don’t smoke. That includes e-cigarettes or vaping.
AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal
Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.
