Relationship Between Cardiovascular Health and Diet

A. Cardiovascular Diseases
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, taking an estimated
17.9 million lives each year. CVDs are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels
and include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease and
other conditions. More than four out of five CVD deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes,
and one third of these deaths occur prematurely in people under 70 years of age.

The most important behavioural risk factors of heart disease and stroke are unhealthy diet,
physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol. The effects of behavioural risk
factors may show up in individuals as raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose, raised
blood lipids, and overweight and obesity.

B. Diet And Cardiovascular Diseases Risk

Diet quality is strongly related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence. Poor diet quality is
strongly associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. The
best way to prevent cardiovascular disease is to keep heart healthy. The first step is to
maintain a healthy diet. There is a lot to talk about in terms of diet, but for keeping heart
healthy, main tips are to keep cholesterol levels low. Watch out for red meat, sugary foods
and beverages, and palm and coconut oils.

Dietary patterns associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular disease were

characterized by regular consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and
fish and were low in red and processed meat and sugar sweetened foods and drinks.
Regular consumption of nuts and legumes and moderate consumption of alcohol were also
shown to be beneficial in most studies. Additionally, research that included specific nutrients
in their description of dietary patterns indicated that patterns that were low in saturated fat,
cholesterol, and sodium and rich in fiber and potassium may be beneficial for reducing
cardiovascular disease risk.
C. Factors That Cause Heart Disease
Anyone can get heart disease, but the risk is higher if:
1. Have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes.
2. Smoke.
3. Are overweight or have obesity.
4. Don't get enough physical activity.
5. Don't eat a healthy diet.

Age and family history also affect the risk for heart disease. The risk is higher if:
1. You’re a woman over age 55.
2. You’re a man over age 45.
3. Your father or brother had heart disease before age 55.
4. Your mother or sister had heart disease before age 65.

But the good news is there's a lot you can do to prevent heart disease.

D. Steps To Prevent Heart Disease

Four key lifestyle steps can dramatically reduce your chances of developing cardiovascular
risk factors and ultimately heart disease:

1. Not smoking
Breaking the cigarette to represent quitting smoking. One of the best things you can do for
your health is to not use tobacco in any form. Tobacco use is a hard-to-break habit that can
slow you down, make you sick, and shorten your life. One way it does this is by contributing
to heart disease.

In fact, researchers examining the relationship between cigarette smoking and smoking
cessation on mortality during a decades-long perspective study of over 100,000 women
found that approximately 64% of deaths among current smokers and 28% of deaths among
former smokers were attributable to cigarette smoking.

This study also reported that much of the excess risk due to smoking may be drastically
lowered after quitting. Additionally, the excess risk for all-cause mortality—that is, death from
any cause—decreases to the level of a “never-smoker” 20 years after quitting. The nicotine
that tobacco products deliver is one of the most addictive substances around. That makes
tobacco use one of the toughest unhealthy habits to break. But don’t get discouraged; many
smokers do quit! In fact, in the United States today there are more ex-smokers than
smokers. Learn more about the hazards of smoking, the benefits of quitting, and tips for
quitting from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

2. Maintaining a healthy weight

Body weight scaleExcess weight and an extra-large waist size both contribute to heart
disease, as well as a host of other health problems. In a study of over one million women,
body-mass index (BMI) was a strong risk factor for coronary heart disease. The incidence of
coronary heart disease increases progressively with BMI. In the Nurses’ Health Study and
the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, middle-aged women and men who gained 11 to
22 pounds after age 20 were up to three times more likely to develop heart disease, high
blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and gallstones than those who gained five pounds or fewer.

Those who gained more than 22 pounds had an even greater risk of developing these
diseases. Weight and height go hand-in-hand. The taller you are, the more you weigh. That’s
why researchers have devised several measures that account for both weight and height.
The one most commonly used is BMI.

You can calculate your BMI by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in meters
squared (kg/m2). You can also use an online BMI calculator or BMI table. A healthy BMI is
under 25 kg/m2. Overweight is defined as a BMI of 25 to 29.9 kg/m2, and obesity is defined
as a BMI of 30 kg/m2 Waist size matters, too. In people who are not overweight, waist size
may be an even more telling warning sign of increased health risks than BMI. An expert
panel convened by the National Institutes of Health identified these useful benchmarks: Men
should aim for a waist size below 40 inches (102 cm) and women should aim for a waist size
below 35 inches (88 cm).

3. Exercising

Exercise and physical activity are excellent ways to prevent heart disease and many other
diseases and conditions, but many of us get less activity as we get older. Getting regular
physical activity is one of the best things you can do for your health. It lowers the risk of
heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and certain cancers, and
it can also help control stress, improve sleep, boost mood, keep weight in check, and reduce
the risk of falling and improve cognitive function in older adults. It doesn’t take marathon
training to see real health gains. A 30-minute brisk walk five days of the week will provide
important benefits for most people. Getting any amount of exercise is better than none.
Exercise and physical activity benefit the body, while a sedentary lifestyle does the opposite
increasing the chances of becoming overweight and developing a number of chronic
diseases. Research shows that people who spend more time each day watching television,
sitting, or riding in cars have a greater chance of dying early than people who are more
active. A 2013 study showed that, among women ages 50-79 with no cardiovascular disease
at the start of study, prolonged sitting time was associated with increased heart disease risk
regardless of the amount of time spent in leisure-time physical activity.

4. Following a healthy diet

Harvard Healthy Eating Plate for years, research into connections between diet and heart
disease focused on individual nutrients like cholesterol (and foods high in dietary cholesterol,
like eggs), types of fats, and specific vitamins and minerals. This work has been revealing,
but it has also generated some dead ends, along with myths and confusion about what
constitutes a heart-healthy diet. That’s because people eat food, not nutrients.

The best diet for preventing heart disease is one that is full of fruits and vegetables, whole
grains, nuts, fish, poultry, and vegetable oils; includes alcohol in moderation, if at all; and
goes easy on red and processed meats, refined carbohydrates, foods and beverages with
added sugar, sodium, and foods with trans fat. People with diets consistent with this dietary
pattern had a 31% lower risk of heart disease, a 33% lower risk of diabetes, and a 20%
lower risk of stroke.

A randomized controlled trial found that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin
olive oil or nuts, both rich sources of unsaturated fat, reduced the incidence of major
cardiovascular events amongst patients with cardiovascular disease over a 4.8 year follow
up period. This study highlighted that low-fat diets are not beneficial to heart health, and that
incorporating healthy fats such as those included in the Mediterranean diet can improve
heart health and weight loss. There isn’t one exact Mediterranean diet, as this eating style
takes into account the different foods, eating patterns, and lifestyles in multiple countries that
border the Mediterranean Sea. However, there are similarities that define a Mediterranean
eating pattern, including: high intake of olive oil, nuts, vegetables, fruits, and cereals;
moderate intake of fish and poultry; low intake of dairy products, red meat, processed meats,
and sweets; and wine in moderation, consumed with meals.

A 2020 study focused on dietary scores for 4 healthy eating patterns: Healthy Eating Index
2015 ; Alternate Mediterranean Diet Score; Healthful Plant-Based Diet Index; and Alternate
Healthy Eating Index. Despite different scoring methods, each of these patterns emphasizes
higher intake of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and nuts, and lower intakes of red
and processed meats and sugar-sweetened beverages.

The study found that those who adhered most to healthy eating patterns had a 14% to 21%
lower risk of cardiovascular disease when compared with those who adhered least. The
findings also showed that these different healthy eating patterns were similarly effective at
lowering risk across racial and ethnic groups and other subgroups studied, and that they
were statistically significantly associated with lower risk of both coronary heart disease and
stroke.

Sodium and potassium are two interrelated minerals that play major roles in regulating blood
pressure and a healthy heart. Eating less salty foods and more potassium-rich foods may
significantly lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Potassium is found in many foods,
especially fruits, vegetables, legumes, and low-fat dairy. But the reverse of eating a lot of
sodium-rich foods especially from processed breads, packaged snacks, canned goods, and
fast-food meals while skimping on potassium can increase cardiovascular disease risk.