Researchers have found that maintaining optimal cardiovascular health could partially offset a high genetic risk for stroke.
The study was based on data from 11,568 middle-aged adults who were stroke-free at baseline and who were followed for an average of 28 years.
Participants were assessed for Life’s Simple 7 – a programme from the American Herat Association used for measuring and monitoring the health of populations and individuals.
The Life’s Simple 7 recommendations include cholesterol control, blood pressure control, blood glucose control, physical activity, healthy diet, no smoking and healthy body mass index (BMI).
During the study, 1,138 participants were diagnosed with stroke. Of these, 14 per cent had a low genetic risk, 41.7 per cent had an intermediate genetic risk and 44.3 per cent a high genetic risk.
The findings have shown that participants who scored low on Life’s Simple 7 experienced 56.8 per cent of stroke events compared with those with optimal Life’s Simple 7 measures who experienced only 6.2 per cent.
The study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association has found that participants with the highest genetic risk and lowest Life’s Simple 7 scores had the highest lifetime risk of stroke at 24.8 per cent.
“The public message is clear,” Dr Tatjana Rundek, professor of neurology and public health sciences at the University of Miami, not involved in the study, told Medical News Today.
“Regardless of the potential of harbouring ‘bad’ genetic risk, improving cardiovascular health should be the most important priority for public health. Promoting ideal cardiovascular health should start at an early age, and many of us believe that we should start with a healthy diet and exercise at birth.”
The researchers have concluded that maintaining optimal cardiovascular health can partially offset a high genetic risk for stroke, but they have noted the observational nature of the study.
