NHLBI Media Availability: Having No Risk Factors At
Age 50 Greatly Improves Life Span and Diminishes Risk for Cardiovascular
Disease
New results from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s
(NHLBI) Framingham Heart Study show that compared with men and women
who have two or more risk factors for heart disease at age 50, those
with none live substantially longer and have dramatically lower
risks of developing cardiovascular disease.
“Prediction of Lifetime Risk for Cardiovascular Disease
by Risk Factor Burden at Age 50,” will be published
in the February 6 edition of Circulation.
Dr. Daniel Levy, director of the Framingham Heart Study, is available
to comment on the study’s findings. Compared with men and
women who had 2 or more major risk factors, those with none lived
an average of 11 (men) and 8 (women) years longer. The lifetime
risk for developing cardiovascular disease associated with having
2 or more risk factors was 69 percent for men and 50 percent for
women, versus risk associated with having no risk factors, 5.2 percent
for men, 8.2 percent for women.
To schedule interviews, contact the NHLBI Communications Office
at 301-496 4236.
NHLBI is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the
Federal Government’s primary agency for biomedical and behavioral
research. NIH is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services. NHLBI press releases and fact sheets, including
information on metabolic syndrome, can be found online at www.nhlbi.nih.gov.
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