That’s the message from researchers at UAB who said 75% of young adults in the U.S. don’t have ideal heart health.
The researchers used data from a survey of American adults ages 18 to 44 and only about a quarter of people studied were considered to have ideal cardiovascular health. Researchers used the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 as a key measure for improving and maintaining heart health. Those eight components include: sleep, body mass index, physical activity, cholesterol levels, healthy diet, blood pressure, glucose levels, and smoking.
Dr. Naman Shetty said young adults tend to neglect their heart health believing it’s more of a problem for older people.“The best time to take care of your cardiovascular health is at a younger age. You don’t need to wait until you get old to worry about your cardiovascular health. Cardiovascular health in the younger age determines you cardiovascular disease in the future. So, taking care of your health at a younger age is going to be a lot of help when you’re older,” Dr. Shetty explained.