Feinberg
Northwestern Medicine | Northwestern University | Faculty Profiles

News Center

  • Categories
    • Campus News
    • Disease Discoveries
    • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • Education News
    • Scientific Advances
  • Press Releases
  • Media Coverage
  • Podcasts
  • Editor’s Picks
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Cancer
    • Neurology and Neuroscience
    • Aging and Longevity
    • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • News Archives
  • About Us
    • Media Contact
    • Share Your News
    • News Feeds
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
Menu
  • Categories
    • Campus News
    • Disease Discoveries
    • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • Education News
    • Scientific Advances
  • Press Releases
  • Media Coverage
  • Podcasts
  • Editor’s Picks
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Cancer
    • Neurology and Neuroscience
    • Aging and Longevity
    • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • News Archives
  • About Us
    • Media Contact
    • Share Your News
    • News Feeds
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
Home » Young Women with Low Risk Have Lower Death Rates
Uncategorized

Young Women with Low Risk Have Lower Death Rates

By medwebOct 1, 2004
Share
Facebook Twitter Email

Young Women with Low Risk Have Lower Death Rate

By Elizabeth Crown

Young women at low risk for coronary heart disease and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have lower long-term death rates from these diseases and all other causes compared with those with higher risk levels, according to an article in the Oct. 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Cardiovascular risk factors include high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol level, high body mass index, diabetes, and cigarette smoking.

Studies have shown that young adult men and middle-aged men and women with favorable levels of all major cardiovascular risk factors, that is, low-risk status, have much lower age-specific risks for CVD and death from all causes than those with adverse levels of one or more risk factors.

However, until now, this relationship has not been studied in young women.

Martha L. Daviglus, MD, professor of preventive medicine, and colleagues at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine examined the relationship between the presence of low levels of risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) and CVD in young adulthood and long-term incidence and cause of death in women.

The Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry Study screened approximately 40,000 people 18 years and older from 1967 to 1973. Those at risk for CHD and/or CVD were classified using national guidelines for values of blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index, diabetes, and smoking status.

Of 7,302 women, 20 percent were classified as having low risk for CHD and CVD. In general, women at low risk were younger, white, and better educated.

Most of the women (56 percent) had high levels of one or more risk factors.

During an average 31 years of follow-up, 47 CHD deaths, 94 CVD deaths, and 469 deaths from all causes were recorded.

“Our findings show that for young women, a low cardiovascular risk profile is associated with lower long-term CHD, CVD, and all-cause mortality—results in concert with previous findings on young men and middle-aged men and women,” Dr. Daviglus and co-authors said.

Findings of the study demonstrate that among persons at low risk earlier in life, CHD and CVD cease to occur at epidemic rates.

“These data underscore the importance of a national public priority emphasizing prevention and control of all major CVD risk factors by lifestyle approaches from conception, weaning, childhood, and youth on to increase proportions of the population at low CVD risk,” the researchers said.

Dr. Daviglus’s co-researchers on this study were Jeremiah Stamler, MD, professor emeritus of preventive medicine; Amber Pirzada, MD; Lijing L. Yan, PhD, MPH, research assistant professor of preventive medicine; Daniel B. Garside; Kiang Liu, PhD, professor of preventive medicine; Renwei Wang, MD; Alan R. Dyer, PhD, professor of preventive medicine; Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, MD, assistant professor of preventive medicine and medicine; and Philip Greenland, MD, Harry W. Dingman Professor of Cardiology and chair of preventive medicine, Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

This research was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Illinois Regional Medical Program; Chicago Health Research Foundation; and private donors.

(Reprinted from the Northwestern University News Center.)

Share. Facebook Twitter Email

Related Posts

Mar 29, 2023

Adolescent Sexual Health Program Receives Funding for Social Marketing Campaign

Mar 29, 2023

Lurie Cancer Center Receives Merit Extension from NCI

Oct 20, 2021

Drug Combination May Reduce Risk of Leukemia Relapse

Mar 26, 2020

Comments are closed.

Latest News

New Therapeutic Target for Osteoarthritis Identified 

Jun 9, 2023

Largest Cell Map of Human Lung Reveals Insights Into Disease

Jun 8, 2023

McNally Honored with Walder Award

Jun 8, 2023

Biological Aging Increases Risk of Depression, Anxiety in Adults 

Jun 7, 2023

Developing New Nanoparticle Treatments for Brain Tumors

Jun 6, 2023
  • News Center Home
  • Categories
  • Press Release
  • Media Coverage
  • Editor’s Picks
  • News Archives
  • About Us
Flickr Photos
ANB05555
ANB08990
ANB09022
ANB09063
ANB09008
ANB08781
ANB08971
ANB09000
ANB08992
ANB09015
ANB09058
ANB09048

Northwestern University logo

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

RSS Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr YouTube Instagram
Copyright © 2023 Northwestern University
  • Contact Northwestern University
  • Disclaimer
  • Campus Emergency Information
  • Policy Statements

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.