A diet of vegetables and other healthy foods coupled with a routine of regular exercise may be key to achieving optimal cardiometabolic health in later life for middle-aged adults, according to new research from the Journal of the American Heart Association
Cardiometabolic health risk factors include metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions including excess fat around the waist, insulin resistance and high blood pressure. Presence of the metabolic syndrome may increase the risk of developing heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, according to the study.
The 2018 Exercise Guidelines for Americans and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 note that midlife produces the most beneficial cardiometabolic health outcomes later in life. The exercise guidelines recommend adults achieve at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week, such as walking or swimming. The Dietary Guidelines, updated in January 2021, offer suggestions for 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, the researchers examined data from 2,379 adults aged 18 and older and their adherence to the two guidelines. They noted that meeting a combination of the 2 recommendations during middle age was associated with a lower likelihood of metabolic syndrome and developing serious health problems as participants in their senior years in exams from 2016 to 2019, the authors of the report said. research.
“Healthcare professionals could use these findings to further promote and highlight to their patients the benefits of a healthy diet and regular exercise regimen to prevent the development of numerous chronic health problems in the present and later life,” the corresponding author Vanessa Xanthakis. , PhD, FAHA, assistant professor of medicine and biostatistics in the preventive medicine and epidemiology section at Boston University School of Medicine in Boston, in a press release. “The sooner people make these lifestyle changes, the more likely they are to lower their risk of cardiovascular disease later in life.”
Study participants were selected from the third generation of the Framingham Heart Study. The participants were examined between 2008 and 2011, and the researchers evaluated physical activity using a specialized device known as an omnidirectional accelerometer.
The device, which tracks sedentary and physical activity, was worn on the participant’s hip for 8 days. The researchers also collected nutritional information from food frequency questionnaires to measure the types and levels of foods and nutrients.
In this analysis, the researchers noted that of all participants, 28% met the recommendations of both the exercise and diet guidelines and 47% met the recommendations in only 1 of the guidelines.
The researchers also noted that:
- Participants who only followed the physical activity recommendations were 51% less likely to have metabolic syndrome.
- Participants who only adhered to the dietary guidelines had 33% lower odds.
- Participants who followed both guidelines were 65% less likely to develop metabolic syndrome.
“It is noteworthy that we have observed a dose-response association of following diet and exercise guidelines with the risk of cardiometabolic disease in later life,” Xanthakis said in a press release. “Participants who adhered to exercise guidelines had a progressively lower risk of cardiometabolic disease because they adhered better to dietary guidelines.”
The findings cannot be generalized to people in other racial or ethnic groups, according to the study authors, since all of the study participants were white adults. They added that additional studies with a sample of multi-ethnic participants are needed.
REFERENCE
Exercise and a healthy diet in middle age can prevent serious health problems in old age. 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