Research that was presented at the ESC Congress 2023 shows that middle-aged people who have three or more risk factors, such as moderately raised blood pressure, cholesterol, hyperglycemia, and waist circumference, suffer heart attacks and strokes two years earlier than their peers.
Study author Dr Lena Lönnberg of Sweden, said, “Many people in their 40s and 50s have a bit of fat around the middle and marginally elevated blood pressure, cholesterol or glucose but feel generally well, are unaware of the risks and do not seek medical advice. This scenario, called metabolic syndrome, is a growing problem in Western populations where people are unknowingly storing up problems for later in life. This is a huge missed opportunity to intervene before heart attacks and strokes that could have been avoided occur.”
The study included 34,269 adults in their 40s and 50s who participated in a cardiovascular screening programme in the Swedish county of Västmanland between 1990 and 1999. Participants underwent a clinical examination by a nurse at their primary health care facility, which included measurements of their height, weight, blood pressure, total cholesterol, blood sugar, and waist and hip circumference. They also completed a questionnaire about lifestyle habits, previous history of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and socioeconomic factors such as education.
