Young adults clueless about heart risk factors

By Megan Rauscher

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a survey of nearly 4,200 healthy young adults, researchers were surprised to find that most did not know the major risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, and being overweight.

"This is shocking and distressing given that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the US and is preventable," Dr. Elizabeth B. Lynch of the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago told Reuters Health.

The average age of the people surveyed was 30 years when they were surveyed in 1990-1991; they were questioned again in 2000-2001.

On average, subjects mentioned two of the six heart disease risk factors considered -- high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, overweight, sedentary lifestyle, and unhealthy diet -- Lynch and colleagues report in the American Journal of Epidemiology. This was true regardless of race, sex, or level of education.

More than 65 percent were not aware of any of the six heart disease risk factors.

Less than 35 percent recognized that being overweight increases the risk of developing heart disease and elevated cholesterol was recognized by fewer than 17 percent. Smoking, high blood pressure, and lack of exercise were each recognized as a risk factor for heart disease by only 20 to 60 percent of those surveyed.

People who had a risk factor were more likely to mention that risk factor than were those who did not have the risk factor. However, knowledge of heart disease risk factors did not lead to any change in risk factor levels over 10 years.

The results of this survey have yielded "important and surprising findings," Lynch told Reuters Health. "People must have accurate knowledge in order to make healthy choices. It is essential that public health officials learn how to communicate information about health risks to people more effectively," she added.

SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, December 15, 2006.