2024 Stats on CVD & Impact of Nutrition (especially Mediterranean Diet)

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What are the major cardiovascular diseases and their impact in the United States?

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) encompasses a range of conditions, including heart disease and stroke. In 2021, CVD was the underlying cause of death for over 931,000 people in the United States, claiming more lives than all forms of cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease combined. Nearly half of US adults (48.6%) had some form of CVD between 2017 and 2020. The economic burden is substantial, with direct and indirect costs totaling over $422 billion between 2019 and 2020.

What are some key statistics regarding coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke in the US?

In 2021, coronary heart disease was the leading cause of CVD deaths, accounting for 40.3% of these fatalities. On average, someone in the United States experiences a heart attack approximately every 40 seconds. Stroke was responsible for 17.5% of CVD deaths in 2021, with someone dying from a stroke every 3 minutes and 14 seconds on average. While the death rate attributable to CHD declined by 15.0% between 2011 and 2021, the actual number of deaths remained relatively stable. Conversely, the age-adjusted stroke death rate increased by 8.4% and the actual number of stroke deaths rose by 26.3% during the same period.

How does the American Heart Association (AHA) contribute to addressing cardiovascular diseases?

The American Heart Association is a significant non-profit, non-governmental funder of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular research in the United States. They utilize donations to support research projects, with applications reviewed by volunteer scientists and healthcare professionals. The AHA has funded over $5 billion in research since 1949, and their supported research has contributed to 10 Nobel Prizes.

What are the key risk factors for heart disease and stroke, as identified by the AHA?

The AHA tracks eight key health factors and behaviors, known as "Life's Essential 8," that increase the risk for heart disease and stroke. These include not smoking, physical activity, a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy body weight, getting sufficient sleep, and controlling cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.

What are some statistics related to these risk factors in the US?

Smoking remains a major risk factor, contributing to a significant number of deaths globally and in the US, including from secondhand smoke exposure. Physical inactivity is prevalent, with only 24.2% of US adults meeting aerobic activity guidelines in 2020. Diet scores using the AHA's metric are generally low across demographic groups. Overweight and obesity affect a large proportion of US adults (41.8% prevalence between 2017 and 2020). High cholesterol, insufficient sleep, diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed), and high blood pressure are also common issues among US adults.

What does "eating the rainbow" mean in the context of healthy eating?

"Eating the rainbow" is a healthy eating tip that encourages consuming a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. The different colors in produce are due to specific phytonutrients, which are natural compounds that offer protective benefits to plants and may help prevent lifestyle diseases and support overall health in humans. Eating a diverse range of colors ensures intake of a broad spectrum of these beneficial nutrients, which are more powerful for health when obtained from whole foods rather than supplements.

What are some examples of beneficial phytonutrients found in different colored fruits and vegetables and their potential health benefits?

Red foods contain phytochemicals like lycopene and ellagic acid, linked to reduced risk of certain cancers (like prostate and esophageal) and heart disease. Yellow and orange foods are rich in vitamin C and carotenoids (like beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin), important for immune function, vision health (protecting against cataracts and macular degeneration), and reducing stroke risk. Green vegetables provide lutein, isothiocyanates, isoflavones, folate, and vitamin K, supporting immune function, detoxification, energy levels, cognitive health, and bone health. Purple and blue foods are high in anthocyanins and resveratrol, associated with reduced risk of cancer and heart disease, cognitive support, decreased inflammation, and improved skin health. White and brown produce, such as cauliflower, garlic, onions, and mushrooms, contain compounds like sulforaphane, allicin, quercetin, and phytonutrients that may protect against certain cancers and support bone and heart health.

What are the potential health benefits associated with following a Mediterranean diet?

Research suggests that adhering to a Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes whole, nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, healthy fats, and lean proteins, can offer numerous health advantages. These include improved sleep quality, reduced inflammation (potentially protecting against conditions like heart disease and COVID-19), increased lifespan, a lower risk of heart disease (particularly in women), reduced dementia risk, lower odds of developing prostate cancer, potential benefits for vision as you age (reducing the risk of progressing from early to late age-related macular degeneration), and a boost to mental health, including reduced stress and improved mood.