Ideal cardiovascular health predicts lower risks of myocardial infarction, stroke, and vascular death across whites,...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Limited evidence exists on the link between ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) and specific cardiovascular outcomes, especially in Hispanic populations.
• The American Heart Association (AHA) defines ideal CVH based on key metrics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the relationship between the number of ideal CVH metrics and the risk of cardiovascular events.
• To evaluate this relationship across different racial and ethnic groups within a multiethnic cohort.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, community-based cohort study (Northern Manhattan Study) with 2981 participants.
• Follow-up for a median of 11 years, analyzing myocardial infarction, stroke, and vascular death.
• Investigated the association between ideal CVH metrics and cardiovascular disease risk.

Main Results:

• A significant inverse gradient was observed: higher numbers of ideal CVH metrics correlated with lower cardiovascular disease risk.
• Hazard ratios for cardiovascular disease decreased progressively with increasing ideal CVH metrics (e.g., 0.41 for 5-6 metrics vs. 0-1).
• Similar graded relationships were found for specific outcomes (myocardial infarction, stroke, vascular death) and across racial/ethnic groups (whites, blacks, Caribbean Hispanics).

Conclusions:

• A strong, graded relationship exists between ideal CVH and reduced risk of individual cardiovascular disease end points.
• This relationship is consistent across diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
• Supports the use of AHA ideal CVH metrics for cardiovascular disease risk assessment and health promotion for all populations.