Fewer than 7% of Americans are in excellent cardiometabolic health, which is measured by evaluating a person’s weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, blood cholesterol levels and signs of heart disease.
Tufts University researchers came to this sobering conclusion after assessing 55,000 people older than 20 between 1999 and 2018. The study’s lead author, Meghan O’Hearn, says it’s “deeply problematic” that fewer than 1 in 15 adults in one of the wealthiest nations in the world is in optimal cardiometabolic health. Not surprisingly, factors such as economic instability and systemic discrimination are linked to a higher risk of health problems.
A similar study, involving American Heart Association (AHA) metrics — eating habits, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep duration, body mass and blood composition — shows that only 1 in 5 Americans have healthy hearts.
