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The cardiologist Prof. Fuster’s markers are based on lifestyle, the assessment matches the gold standard
A simple tool for assessing heart risk in healthy people is almost as effective as the Cardiovascular Health Index recommended by the American Heart Association. Predictions based on 5 signs are known in cardiology as the Fuster method in honor of its creator, the world famous American cardiologist of Spanish descent, Professor Valentin Fuster. The reliability of the results based on its markers is comparable to those obtained from the widely used clinical algorithm.
The model is designed for easy use in lifestyle-based cardiovascular disease prevention. It’s designed to serve small-town general practitioners without cardiology clinics, but because of their affordability, they’re an equally effective way to find out about your own heart health. Furthermore, dozens of studies, including two particularly large-scale and conducted under the strictest rules of medical science, report similar accuracy of the two approaches to predicting subclinical – asymptomatic atherosclerosis. The great practical convenience is that the Fuster method
it does not require
laboratory
tests
in contrast to the algorithm that involves the study of cholesterol and blood sugar.
Previous data from the PURE study, coordinated by world cardiology icon Professor Salim Yusuf, also shows that blood tests can sometimes be overlooked when assessing cardiovascular risks, a particular advantage in regions with limited healthcare resources. The use of the 5 signs, of course, is not a challenge for the gold standard, but its addition to the broader and simpler method for primary prevention and identification of risk groups.
The Fuster-BEWAT method does not require laboratory tests. The abbreviation is based on the first letters of the English words for blood pressure (B – blood pressure), exercise (E – exercise), weight (W – weight), nutrition in the sense of diet (A – food) and tobacco (T – tobacco). , the secret name FBS is also used in medicine.
Fuster’s team studied about 4,000 office workers in Madrid, ages 40 to 54, without heart disease. Cardiologists compare the five-factor score with the results of the Ideal Cardiovascular Health Index, or ICHS. I wouldn’t say the match is 100%, but it is very, very close, says Fuster.
Knowing only these few key indicators can provide a fairly accurate picture of current heart health and provide a forecast for the near future, if the values do not deteriorate relative to the norm.
The new method may be an effective way to predict risk and possibly
to motivate
people for
changes to
lifestyles that reduce the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes.
Commenting on widely available cardiac markers, Johns Hopkins Dr. Michael Blaha notes that it is important how much personal data deviates from the recommended values for a particular age and gender. It is not enough to report that you have high or low blood pressure, but how high or low the pressure is in your arteries.
Result of
140/90 e
normal for
most of the people in
active age, 120/80 is ideal. Higher readings mean that the arteries do not respond adequately to the pressure that blood puts on the walls of the arteries (the purely physical explanation for blood pressure), directly increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke.
In recent years, the movement has come a long way in importance as a factor in heart and overall health. Some scientists even prove that
immobilization
it is more risky
even smoking
and overweight
weight
Physical activity outperforms any other measure of heart health and reduces the risk of disease. The popular measure is to walk 10,000 steps a day. Another rule of thumb is to exercise at a moderate intensity for at least 30 minutes 5 times a week, a total of 150 minutes, or vigorously for 75 minutes or more.
The norm for recommended body weight is only seemingly complicated. The fluctuations are related to the so-called body mass index and the confusing formula to calculate it. If a person is guided by it, in working age
your index
it should not be
over 25
But according to experienced cardiologists, there is an easier benchmark: the classic rule of thumb is height in centimeters minus 100. When the number obtained is less than the readings on the scale, the result is considered bad. How badly depends on the deviation.
The dietary benchmark for good heart health is eating
every day at least
4 servings of fruit
and vegetables,
Avoid overeating, don’t overdo it on animal fats, and don’t cram meat, especially processed meat, every day.
Among other markers, a complementary indicator of low cardiovascular risk is
don’t smoke or
at least you are
rejected before
more than 1 year
What if you don’t meet the conditions? For example, a smoker or a recent smoker with a blood pressure greater than 140/90, who lives immobilized and has a body mass index greater than 30 due to a poor diet, has all the risk factors.
With 5 bad
indicator 31%
of the arteries
they are already at risk for disease, says Fuster.
In the Madrid survey, only 6.5% met the five ideal indicators. The data is also compared with the cardiac index algorithm. The team then analyzed images of each patient’s arteries and verified whether the results of both tests predicted the extent of the disease. The bottom line: Fuster’s methodology is comparable to the ICHS data.
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