Heart attacks and strokes can be reduced with lifestyle changes. One change – adopting a heart-healthy diet – appears to have greater impact on future cardiovascular risks in people with high blood pressure, according to a new study.
For young and middle-aged adults with stage 1 hypertension who aren’t being treated, a diet that targets hypertension would be more effective at reducing cardiovascular events over a 10-year period than weight loss and physical activity.
Researchers estimate that nearly 9 million U.S. adults “represent a significant burden on health care systems,” according to co-lead researcher Dr Kendra Sims. She is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Francisco. “Our results provide strong evidence that large-scale healthy behavior modifications may prevent future heart disease, related complications and excess health care costs.”
The study is being presented at the American Heart Association‘s Hypertension Scientific Sessions in San Diego. A peer-reviewed journal must publish the full results before they are considered definitive.
To simulate heart disease and stroke events, death rates, and health care costs for people ages 35 to 64 with untreated stage 1 high blood pressure from 2018 to 2027, researchers used previously published trial data and evidence from meta-analyses on lifestyle changes’ ability to reduce blood pressure. As part of those lifestyle changes, the following changes were made: a change in diet, a change in physical activity, a change in smoking behavior, a change in weight loss, and a change in alcohol consumption.
The researchers found that lowering blood pressure by under 130 mmHg systolic or 90 mmHg diastolic could significantly benefit health and economy. During the simulated time period, lifestyle changes would prevent 2,900 deaths and 26,000 cardiovascular events, such as strokes and heart attacks. Health care costs associated with these changes are also expected to be reduced by $1.6 billion.
