To Attenuate Risk for Cardiovascular Disease, Start with Lifestyle

Modifiable lifestyle factors (e.g., maintaining normal weight, exercising regularly) are associated with lower risk for many diseases, including heart disease and hypertension. Now, two research groups have explored these relations in detail.

In a prospective cohort study, investigators followed 21,000 male physicians (mean age at entry, 54) to assess the influence of six modifiable factors on risk for heart failure (HF): body weight, smoking, exercise, and intake of alcohol, breakfast cereals, and fruits and vegetables. During a mean follow-up of 22 years, 1200 incident cases of HF occurred. For a 40-year-old man without HF, subsequent lifetime risk for developing HF varied from 10% in subjects who adhered to ≥4 lifestyle factors to 21% in …