A diet of vegetables and other healthy foods combined with a regular physical activity routine may be key for middle-aged adults to achieve optimal cardiometabolic health later in life, according to new research from the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Cardiometabolic health risk factors include metabolic syndrome, a cluster of disorders that include excess fat in the waist, insulin resistance, and high blood pressure. According to the study, the presence of metabolic syndrome may increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
The 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans note that middle age provides the most favorable cardiometabolic health outcomes later in life. Physical activity guidelines recommend that adults perform at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes a week, such as walking or swimming. The dietary guidelines, which were updated in January 2021, offer suggestions on healthy eating patterns, nutritional goals, and dietary limits.
In an analysis of data from participants in the Framingham Heart Study, which began more than 70 years ago in Framingham, Massachusetts, researchers in the study examined data from 2,379 adults over the age of 18 and their adherence to the two guidelines. According to the study authors, they found that combining a combination of the two recommendations during middle age was related to lower probabilities of metabolic syndrome and the development of severe health conditions as older participants in the 2016 exams at 2019.
“Healthcare professionals could use these findings to further promote and emphasize to their patients the benefits of a healthy diet and a regular exercise program to prevent the development of numerous chronic health conditions today and in the world. later life, ”said the corresponding author, Vanessa Xanthakis. , PhD, FAHA, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Biostatistics in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology at Boston University School of Medicine in Boston, in a press release. “The sooner there are lifestyle changes, the more likely they will be to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease later on.”
Study participants were selected from the third generation of the Framingham Heart Study. Participants were examined between 2008 and 2011 and the researchers assessed physical activity using a specialized device known as an omnidirectional accelerometer.
The device, which tracks physical and sedentary activity, was worn on the participant’s hip for 8 days. The researchers also collected dietary information from food frequency questionnaires to measure the types and levels of food and nutrients consumed.
In this analysis, the researchers observed that among all participants, 28% met the recommendations of both physical activity and dietary guidelines and 47% met the recommendations in only one of the guidelines.
The researchers also observed that:
- Participants who followed only physical activity recommendations had a 51% lower chance of metabolic syndrome.
- Participants who adhered to the dietary guidelines had only a 33% lower probability.
- Participants who followed both guidelines were 65% less likely to develop metabolic syndrome.
“It is noteworthy that we observe a dose-response association of adherence to diet and physical activity guidelines at risk for cardiometabolic disease later in life,” Xanthakis said in a press release. “Participants who complied with physical activity guidelines had a progressively lower risk of cardiometabolic disease as they increased adherence to dietary guidelines.”
Results could not be generalized to people from other racial or ethnic groups, as all study participants were white adults, according to the study authors. They added that additional studies with a multiethnic sample of participants are needed.
REFERENCE
Exercise and a healthy diet in middle age can prevent serious health problems in later years. American Heart Association. Published March 31, 2021. Accessed March 31, 2021. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/exercise-healthy-diet-in-midlife-may-prevent-serious-health-conditions-in- senior-years