Cardiovascular Wellness—The Role of Lifestyle and Health Equity: A Perspective

Background and Aims

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major health concern across the globe, its rising incidence is a result of the interplay of various risk factors. Lifestyle and health status plays a key role in influencing disease progression and outcome. In this perspective, we aim to elucidate the success of lifestyle interventions in decreasing the burden of the disease, while also highlighting the importance of health education and equity.

Methodology

We conducted a literature search on PubMed using key terms such as “cardiovascular health,” “prevention,” “lifestyle interventions,” “exercise,” “health disparities,” and “digital health.” Our search strategy focused on identifying recent studies to ensure the inclusion of current evidence, we supplemented our search with manual citation tracking to ensure comprehensive coverage of the topic.

Results

Diet and exercise significantly affect the pathogenesis of the disease. It was observed that the benefits of exercise were evident when practiced in moderation. Smoking and environmental pollutants are well known for their multiorgan hazardous effects; and the introduction of legislative laws in few countries have proven to be beneficial in reducing disease burden. Measures of health equity and education highlight the prevalent disparities in healthcare provision. These inequalities aren't only influenced by social and educational parameters; studies show that gender plays a massive role as well, and the major reason for this is the lack of diverse clinical trials.

Conclusion

Lifestyle interventions were shown to be highly effective in maintaining cardiovascular health. Fiber-rich low-fat meals, and weekly exercise of 2.5 to 5 h help maintain cardiovascular health. The widespread implementation of such interventions is still limited by lack of diverse trials, lacking health education and the prevalent disparity of equitable resource distribution. It is the need of the hour that physicians and policymakers collaborate to ensure a healthy heart among all.