Early care of cardiovascular health. Descriptive review.

Abstract

Middle age is becoming an increasingly important focus for the prevention of cardiometabolic diseases in later life, as numerous published studies with decades of follow-up have shown that elevated blood glucose and insulin resistance in youth largely predict the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in individuals over 50 years of age. This descriptive literature review, based on numerous articles published in peer-reviewed journals since the beginning of this century and related to the spectrum of cardiovascular health care in early life, concludes that while adolescents and young adults have a lower average 10-year risk of atherosclerotic disease, they may derive greater benefits from preventive interventions due to a larger number of years of life at risk. Those who lose ideal cardiovascular health status in adolescence and early adulthood are at greater risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those who maintain ideal levels of cardiovascular health throughout their lives, which supports the importance of optimizing cardiovascular health starting in the early decades of life.