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Prevent Heart Disease

According to a recent study, in “high-income” countries such as USA, UK, Canada and Australia, risks of stroke and heart disease declines as education levels rise. A study was conducted on 61,332 people from 44 countries who had either been diagnosed with heart disease or those who showed to have risk factors, such as smoking or obesity.  A link between cardiovasular disease risks and education was found to exist in “higher-income” countries, and is probably due to better knowledge about what causes heart disease and how to prevent it. Knowledge of risk factors may help to make healthier choices.  Obesity (one of the main heart disease risk factors) was more prevalent among those with less education in higher-income countries.  It was found that in high-income countries, the highest educated men smoked less than men with the fewest years of formal education. However, higher rates of smoking were noted among more highly-educated women in these countries.  The study also found that the link between education and heart disease risks did not apply in middle and low-income countries.

These findings were published in the September 2010 issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

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Heart disease and stroke are leading causes of death worldwide.  Major controllable risk factors that can be lowered by modification, treatment or control include smoking, high blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, lack of physical activity, obesity and stress.

Reference: Reuters Health and American Heart Association

Tags: American Heart Association, Australia, Canada, Education, Health, Higher Education, Research, Study, UK, United States