logo
Making these lifestyle changes reduce chronic disease, even if you have a genetic risk

Making these lifestyle changes reduce chronic disease, even if you have a genetic risk

CNN17-07-2025
Better health for your whole body can be broken down into just seven factors, according to a new study.
Life's Simple 7 is the American Heart Association's guidelines for achieving and maintaining ideal cardiovascular health. The factors include not smoking, a nutritious diet, regular exercise, a healthy weight, optimal blood pressure, controlled blood sugar and well-managed cholesterol.
Researchers reviewed 483 studies on the impacts of maximizing Life's Simple 7 on the health of many different body systems over the course of people's lives in a meta-analysis published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Maintaining ideal levels of at least three of Life's Simple 7 metrics was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, even if someone had a genetic predisposition, according to the data. And better scores across all of the factors showed benefits in many body systems beyond cardiovascular health.
'A few years ago, we learned that heart health and brain health are very closely tied. Through this review, we found that almost every organ system and bodily function also benefits from maintaining the healthy lifestyle behaviors of Life's Simple 7,' said lead study author Dr. Liliana Aguayo, a research assistant professor at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and the Global Diabetes Research Center at Emory University in Atlanta, in a statement.
'We were pleasantly surprised to find that Life's Simple 7 at optimal levels touched every aspect of health, from head to toe. It goes well beyond just cardiovascular health to encompass whole-body health,' she added.
The researchers conducted a systemic review of studies that followed a gold standard approach, said Dr. Nour Makarem, assistant professor of epidemiology and co-leader of the Chronic Disease Unit at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City. Makarem was not involved in the research.
One of the most significant findings of the research is that a little change makes a big difference when it comes to lifestyle and health, Aguayo said.
The study assessed adherence to Life's Simple 7 using a scale from 0 to 14 points.
Each improvement by 1 point was associated with an 11% decrease in dementia risk, a 6% decreased risk of eye disease, a 23% decreased risk of fatty liver disease, and an 11% decreased risk of chronic kidney disease, Aguayo said.
'This means that small changes, for example, moving from obesity to overweight, adding any physical activity even if below recommended levels counted as progress,' she said.
Many of the studies showed an adherence to Life's Simple 7 was associated with maintaining brain and lung function, vision and hearing, and teeth and muscle strength over the course of aging, according to the data.
The studies included in the meta-analysis used Life's Simple 7 to evaluate lifestyle behaviors, but the AHA has since updated the metrics to Life's Essential 8.
The new guidelines are more comprehensive, such as including avoiding secondhand smoke, vaping and nicotine products in the not smoking factor and pointing people to the Mediterranean diet or DASH diet under the healthy eating metric, Makarem said. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension; high blood pressure is a major contributor to heart disease and stroke.
Importantly, the update added an eighth metric that recognizes the role of sleep in long-term health, he added.
Good sleep means seven to nine hours a night for most adults, 10 to 16 hours for children ages 5 and younger, 9 to 12 hours for kids ages 6 to 12, and 8 to 10 hours for adolescents ages 13 to 18, according to the AHA.
The study confirms that adopting a healthy lifestyle is important to achieve optimal health as well as managing the conventional risk factors for cardiovascular disease –– weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, Aguayo said.
Everyday lifestyle choices have a big impact on overall health, and it's worth it to take steps toward better cardiovascular health, Aguayo said.
'The key message is that it is never too early or too late to make small, feasible changes,' she said in an email. 'Small improvements in diet, physical activity, smoking, or managing risk factors (weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar) can have meaningful benefits, not just for heart health, but for all the body, from head to toe.'
For a heart-healthy diet, Makarem recommends focusing on plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains and consuming lean proteins such as fish. She also recommended limiting processed foods, sodium and sugar-sweetened beverages.
Adults should engage in 150 minutes of moderate physical activity — like walking, dancing or gardening — or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity a week, Makarem added.
Even considering how impactful small changes can be, ideal cardiovascular health is very rare –– with less than 4% of people worldwide meeting the criteria, Aguayo said.
'We must do more to support young people, especially women, by making it easier, more affordable, and achievable for all to improve their cardiovascular health,' she added. 'Cardiovascular disease is still the number one killer of women. Supporting the heart health of young people and women is both cost-effective and the right thing to do.'
Sign up for CNN's Fitness, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide will help you ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Extra: How A ‘Fentanyl Father' Turned His Grief Into Activism
Extra: How A ‘Fentanyl Father' Turned His Grief Into Activism

Fox News

time23 minutes ago

  • Fox News

Extra: How A ‘Fentanyl Father' Turned His Grief Into Activism

While there appears to be some progress in America's war on fentanyl, overdose deaths related to the synthetic drug remain alarmingly high, especially among young people. President Trump recently signed the HALT Fentanyl Act, expanding law enforcement's ability to crack down on traffickers. Gregory Swan lost his son, Drew, to a fentanyl overdose in 2013. Since then, he has co-founded Fentanyl Fathers and devoted his life to raising awareness about the lethal drug. Gregory recently spoke with FOX News Rundown host David Anthony to share his personal story, discuss the HALT Fentanyl Act, and explain how he is working with families to help them avoid the loss he and so many other parents have felt. We often have to cut interviews short during the week, but we thought you might like to hear the full interview. Today on Fox News Rundown Extra, we will share our entire interview with Gregory Swan, allowing you to hear more about how he turned his grief into activism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

Tennessee school won't accept doctor's notes for absences
Tennessee school won't accept doctor's notes for absences

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Tennessee school won't accept doctor's notes for absences

(NewsNation) — One Tennessee school district will no longer accept doctors' notes to excuse an absence despite objections from parents. Lawrence County School System officials said the school is instituting the policy to teach students work ethic and reliability, saying that students will be expected to go to work sick or injured as adults. It is also intended to address chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10 percent or more of instructional time. In the 2023-2024 school year, Lawrence County had a 14 percent rate of chronic absenteeism. With no federally mandated sick leave, many Americans do go to work when sick, but public health officials advise against it. Staying home when sick can reduce the spread of viruses like the flu and COVID-19 and protect vulnerable people in the community. The new attendance policy says students will simply be marked absent or present, with no options for doctors to verify a child is absent because they are sick or injured, need to stay home to recover or to prevent spreading contagious illnesses to their classmates. The policy is meant to help improve attendance rates, but parents have objected, noting that an absence for an illness like the flu could now mean a referral to the Lawrence County Juvenile Court for truancy. Children who get sick at school or are sent to school sick and sent home by a nurse will be counted as tardy. Three tardies will equal an absence. The new policy also says schools will start intervention after just three days, and eight or more days marked absent will result in a court referral. Other penalties could include failing a class or grade, not being allowed to participate in graduation or get a driver's license or permit. There will be exemptions for students with documented chronic illnesses and emergencies out of the student's control, as well as allowances for deaths in the family and some religious observances. The school district sent a letter to medical providers asking them to emphasize regular school attendance and warning that medical notes could imply students should stay home even after their health improves. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword

Maryland therapist worries less LGTBQ+ youth will seek help with 988 changes in effect
Maryland therapist worries less LGTBQ+ youth will seek help with 988 changes in effect

CBS News

timean hour ago

  • CBS News

Maryland therapist worries less LGTBQ+ youth will seek help with 988 changes in effect

It's been nearly two weeks since the 988 dedicated lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth discontinued, and a Maryland therapist is worried about the long-term impact this will have. When the Trump administration announced in June that the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline dedicated to these youth would end, advocates warned it would have life-threatening implications. It was better known as the Press 3 option. For at least one therapist, she said the impacts could lead to these youth hesitating to get help. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, said the 988's dedicated LGBTQ+ youth lifeline ended because the funding for it had been exhausted. The agency stressed these youth would still be able to get help if they still called 988. However, Xiomara Arrieta, a therapist with ThriveWorks, said she heard these youth feel like they're losing representation in this support. "Some people don't have that availability of people in the community who they can look up living their truth," Arrieta said. Arrieta adds that losing the lifeline takes away the ability for these youth to talk to someone who may fully understand their problems. "With the way gender is affirmed or not important for people to kind of come in and get it — as opposed to explaining the genre or how someone is presenting and why they are," Arrieta said. Earlier this month, WJZ reported local advocates were preparing to step up to fill the gap. One of them is the Pride Center of Maryland. Its CEO, Cleo Manago, said he wasn't surprised when he first heard about this lifeline ending. In response, Manago said they were bolstering youth programming and other suicide prevention resources, as well as creating a suicide warm line. "[A suicide warm line] means that there'll be live people to speak to about any suicide concerns or ideations [during traditional work hours]," Manago said. "For the rest of the time, there will be a recording that will alert people where they can call, where they can go." Behavioral Health System Baltimore stressed that the Central Maryland 988 helpline is still going to provide dedicated support for LGBTQ+ youth. The 988 Central Maryland helpline gets about 4,500 calls a month.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store