Less than one in hundred stroke survivors meet the Life's Simple 7 goals for ideal cardiovascular health identified by the American Heart Association.
Less than one in hundred stroke survivors meet the seven personal goals for keeping cardiovascular health in check. This set of seven personal goals is called the “Life’s Simple 7”. It has been laid out by the American Heart Association and consists of goals to - manage blood pressure, control cholesterol, reduce blood sugar, get active, eat better, lose weight, and stop smoking.
‘Between the years 1988 and 2014, the rates of high blood pressure and high cholesterol have decreased, but a rise was seen in the same period for obesity and diabetes.’
Moreover, the proportion who fail to meet almost all of the criteria is on the rise, according to preliminary research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2018, a world premier meeting dedicated to the science and treatment of cerebrovascular disease for researchers and clinicians.In a nationally representative sample of 67,514 U.S adults, 1,597 had prior stroke and had data for all seven measures. Researchers reported that fewer than one in five stroke survivors met at least four ideal health metrics during the study period. The proportion who met none or just one of the ideal health indicators increased from 18 percent in 1988-1994 to 35 percent in 2011-2014.
Other changes between 1988-1994 and 2011-2014:
- rates of high blood pressure decreased from 45 percent to 26 percent;
- rates of high cholesterol decreased from 37 percent to 10 percent;
- rates of obesity increased from 27 percent to 39 percent;
- rates of prediabetes/diabetes increased from 49 percent to 56 percent; and
- proportion with a poor diet increased from 14 percent to 51 percent.
Source-Eurekalert