Sustained Cardiovascular Health in Your 30s Can Slash Risks of Heart, Brain, and Kidney Diseases by Up to 75% Later in Life, Study Finds

[medi K / HEALTH IN NEWS] A new study has found that accumulating strong cardiovascular health practices during one's 30s—the prime of young adulthood—can substantially lower the risks of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, as well as kidney conditions, well into middle age and beyond.

Researchers led by Professors Lee Ho-gyu and Ha Kyung-hwa from Yonsei University College of Medicine's Department of Preventive Medicine, along with Professor Ji Jong-hyun from Gangnam Severance Hospital, announced on the 24th that consistently upholding high levels of cardiovascular health in one's 30s could reduce the chances of developing cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases, or kidney diseases, after middle age by as much as 70% or more. The findings were published in the international journal *JAMA Cardiology*.

Conditions like myocardial infarction, stroke, and other cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, along with chronic kidney disease, share common risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. These factors build up starting in young adulthood and culminate in diseases during and after middle age, underscoring the need for comprehensive management from an early stage.

The team drew on big data from the National Health Insurance Service to analyze 241,924 30-year-old adults who underwent national health screenings between 2002 and 2004. Cardiovascular health scores were assessed across six metrics: physical activity, smoking, body mass index, blood pressure, blood glucose, and blood lipids. Cumulative scores were calculated over a 10-year span from age 30 to 40 and divided into quintiles. Participants were then tracked for an average of 9.2 years.

(From left) Professors Lee Ho-gyu and Ha Kyung-hwa from the Department of Preventive Medicine at Yonsei University College of Medicine, and Professor Ji Jong-hyun from Gangnam Severance Hospital (Photo provided by Severance Hospital)

The analysis revealed that individuals in the top 20% (Q5) for cardiovascular health levels faced 73% and 75% lower risks of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and kidney diseases, respectively, compared with those in the bottom 20% (Q1). Moreover, the longer participants sustained high health levels, the more evident the cumulative benefits became.

Professor Lee Ho-gyu said, “By comprehensively assessing cardiovascular health in youth and tracking it over the long term, we have confirmed the cumulative impact that forming and maintaining healthy habits has on preventing future diseases.” He emphasized, “Lifelong strategies for preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases must extend beyond treatment in later adulthood to encompass health management across the entire life cycle.”

Kim Kuk Ju / press@themedik.kr

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