Even young adults should know their cholesterol and blood pressure numbers, eat in a heart-healthy way, be physically active and watch their weight to reduce their lifetime risk of the disease. Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans. It affects 12 to 13 million Americans. It occurs when the coronary arteries become narrowed or clogged and cannot supply enough oxygen-rich blood to the heart. CHD can lead to chest pain, called angina, and heart attacks.
People are more likely to die from heart disease than cancer, stroke, lung diseases or accidents.
The lifetime risk estimate for CHD is an average value for the general population, but individuals may have higher or lower absolute lifetime risks depending on whether or not they smoke, have high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, or diabetes, are sedentary or overweight. Dr. Levy says the study will help policy makers assess the risks and burdens for various diseases and help the public understand why heart disease prevention is so important. The study also has implications for older Americans, and the physicians caring for them, who may have believed that persons who survive to an older age without CHD are no longer susceptible to developing it. Since even at age 70 the average person remains at high risk, greater emphasis should be placed on control of risk factors in older men and women, says Dr. Levy. The Framingham Heart Study began 50 years ago in Framingham, Massachusetts.