I’ve often wondered at what age we should begin worrying about our weight in terms of its impact on heart disease. I’m not the only one with an interest regarding weight and when it begins to impact our heart health. The National Institute of Health, through the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute division, has been asking the same question.
The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) is a long-term study sponsored by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. The study focused on learning more about how cardiovascular disease (heart disease) actually develops during the course of our lives. The CARDIA study began in 1986 with an original group of over 5100 participants. Follow-up examinations were conducted at years 2, 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20. By year 20 of the study, 72% of the original participants were still actively engaged in the study.
The original pool of study participants consisted of both men and women between the ages of 18 and 30 years of age. In selecting the participants, researches tried to obtain an equal balance of the various subgroups, including: “race, gender, education (high school or less and more than high school) and age (18-24 and 25-30)."
During the course of the study, researchers gathered information on a variety of contributing factors to heart disease. Some of the issues tracked included factors such as weight, cholesterol levels, lifestyle (smoking, alcohol usage), family history, blood pressure levels, physical measurements, exercise habits, dietary intake, glucose and insulin levels.
One of the findings of the study as it relates to weight was that participants who maintained their starting program weight throughout the course of the study were at less risk for developing metabolic syndrome than their counterparts who gained weight. Eighteen percent of the participants who gained weight developed metabolic syndrome by year 15 of the CARDIA study. Of those participants who maintained their starting weight, only 3.6% of participants developed metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is actually a “catch-all” name for a group of five risk factors relating to obesity. The five risk factors are:
• Large waist (i.e. apple shaped)
• High triglyceride levels
• Low levels of HDL (good) cholester
• High blood pressure
• High fasting blood sugar levels
If a person has at least three of the five risk factors, they are considered to have metabolic syndrome. Persons diagnosed with metabolic syndrome are at an increased risk for developing heart disease.
The results of the CARDIA study with respect to weight gain were found to be true even if the participants were overweight at the start of the study. The key appeared to be to stabilize existing weight and not gain any additional weight regardless of the starting weight. One of the best ways to stabilize weight is through exercise. The participants who engaged in at least 30 minutes of exercise (vigorous exercise) per day were much more likely to maintain their weight than counterparts who did not engage in exercise. Those participants who continued to exercise at least 30 minutes a day during the course of the CARDIA study were found to be twice as likely to have maintained their original weight and a healthy BMI as they entered middle age.
It's never too early to begin to worry about your weight and its impact on your future heart health. Young adults should be concerned now and take steps to ensure that they maintain their current weight as they age in order to lessen their risk of developing heart disease later in life.
Sources:
Young Adults who Maintain Their Weight, Even if Overweight, Have Lower Risk Factor Levels for Heart Disease in Early Middle Age, 08 Nov 2004, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institute of Health News, http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/nov2004/nhlbi-08.htm
Overview – Brief Description, Division of Preventive Medicine, 01 Jan 2010, http://www.cardia.dopm.uab.edu/index.htm
What is Metabolic Syndrome, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Apr 2007, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/ms/ms_whatis.html
Physical activity helps maintain weight, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, 08 Nov 2007, http://public.nhlbi.nih.gov/newsroom/home/GetPressRelease.aspx?id=2489