Major risk factors for heart disease confirmed
22 August 2003
The dominant role of the 4 major risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) — high blood pressure, high blood fats, e.g. cholesterol, cigarette smoking and diabetes — has been supported this week by the work of US researchers.
Two papers published in the Journal of the American Medical Association have found that 80 to more than 90 per cent of people with CHD had at least one of the 4 major risk factors for CHD.
These findings refute the belief — described by the authors of the first paper (2003; 290: 891-897) as a 'frequently cited concept' — that up to half of people with CHD have no traditional CHD risk factors.
The research examined data from people with symptoms of coronary heart disease, such as angina or heart attack, those who had died from CHD, and those undergoing procedures to repair blocked coronary blood vessels, as well as broader population groups.
The authors of the second paper (2003; 290: 898-904) concede that while research into nontraditional causes of CHD including genetic factors is important, the emphasis in research and public health policy should be placed on the 4 conventional risk factors for CHD and on addressing the lifestyle behaviours that can cause them.
Last Reviewed: 22 August 2003
- 1. Major risk factors as antecedents of fatal and nonfatal coronary heart disease events. JAMA 2003; 290: 891-897.
2. Prevalence of conventional risk factors in patients with coronary heart disease. JAMA 2003; 290: 898-904.
