Heart disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States, with 80 percent of the population having either poor or moderate cardiovascular health, according to recent research.
A new Life’s Essential 8 checklist developed by the American Heart Association found that just 19.6 percent of the population had a cardiovascular health score that the checklist rates “high.”
Meanwhile, a study of over 23,400 adults and children in the United States indicated that 62,5% had just “moderate” cardiovascular health and 17,9% had “poor” cardiovascular health.
To achieve optimal heart and brain health, the 8 Life’s Essential Components are examined. Nutrition, physical exercise, nicotine intake, sleep length, BMI, blood lipids, blood sugar, and blood pressure are all factors that are taken into consideration. Sleep health was not included on the previous assessment from the American Heart Association (the Life’s Simple 7).
A score of 100 on a scale of 0 to 100 indicates that a person’s cardiovascular health is at its best. A score of less than 50 indicates poor cardiovascular health, whereas a score of 50 to 79 indicates intermediate cardiovascular health. Cardiovascular health is considered to be “high” if a person is above the age of 80. Less than 20 percent of Americans meet this new criterion, according to the latest research.
The results of the study
Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, which collected data between 2013 and 2018, were used to draw these conclusions. A total of around 9,900 young people aged between 13 and 19 were interviewed for the study.
A mere 64.7 out of a possible 100 was achieved by the typical American adult, according to the Life’s Essential 8 survey. The average score for children was 65.5. Children’s nutrition, physical activity, and BMI were taken into account while calculating the checklist’s scores because of their age-related changes.
When it came to food, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI), women scored somewhat higher (67) than males (62.5). Adults’ test results declined, on average, as they aged.
The new research compares the cardiovascular health of Americans of various races and ethnicities and finds that those of Asian descent had the greatest overall results. Hispanics (excluding Mexicans), Mexicans, and Non-Hispanic Blacks all scored higher on health indicators than Non-Hispanic Whites. Children’s dietary scores averaged merely 40.6, and just 0.45% of the total research group obtained a perfect score of 100.
Tiesha loves to share her passion for everything that’s beautiful in this world. Apart from writing on her beauty blog and running her own beauty channel on Youtube, she also enjoys traveling and photography. Tiesha covers various stories on the website.