The past century brought profound advances in the understanding and treatment of cardiovascular disease, leading to dramatic reductions in deaths linked to heart disease and stroke. But what will the next 100 years bring? While no one can say for certain, experts point to three areas they expect may play a crucial role in the decades ahead: a push to halt the rise of cardiovascular risk factors using the knowledge gained in previous decades; the continued development of innovative technologies; and a heightened focus on the root causes of health disparities to prevent them from widening as the U.S.
population grows more diverse. Prevention: Putting knowledge gains to use Over the past century, an enormous body of research emerged surrounding the factors and behaviors that contribute to cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association compiled this knowledge into eight key measures that, if properly managed, could help to substantially lower the risk for heart disease, stroke and other major health problems.
These include physical activity, diet, tobacco use, body weight, sleep duration and blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol levels. "The challenge is how to translate that knowledge into health actions," said Dr. Adrian Hernandez, executive director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute and vice dean of Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.
"That's where we have to do a lot more." Research shows the rates of many cardiovascular risk factors .
