Healthy lifestyle change and subclinical atherosclerosis in young adults: Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.
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ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:The benefits of healthy habits are well established, but it is unclear whether making health behavior changes as an adult can still alter coronary artery disease risk. METHODS AND RESULTS:The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) prospective cohort study (n=3538) assessed 5 healthy lifestyle factors (HLFs) among young adults aged 18 to 30 years (year 0 baseline) and 20 years later (year 20): not overweight/obese, low alcohol intake, healthy diet, physically active, nonsmoker. We tested whether change from year 0 to 20 in a continuous composite HLF score (HLF change; range, -5 to +5) is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis (coronary artery calcification and carotid intima-media thickness) at year 20, after adjustment for demographics, medications, and baseline HLFs. By year 20, 25.3% of the sample improved (HLF change ?+1); 40.4% deteriorated (had fewer HLFs); 34.4% stayed the same; and 19.2% had coronary artery calcification (>0). Each increase in HLFs was associated with reduced odds of detectable coronary artery calcification (odds ratio=0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.74-0.98) and lower intima-media thickness (carotid bulb ?=-0.024, P=0.001), and each decrease in HLFs was predictive to a similar degree of greater odds of coronary artery calcification (odds ratio=1.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.33) and greater intima-media thickness (?=+0.020, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS:Healthy lifestyle changes during young adulthood are associated with decreased risk and unhealthy lifestyle changes are associated with increased risk for subclinical atherosclerosis in middle age.
SUBMITTER: Spring B
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4615574 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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