Unhealthy Habits Elevate Coronary Disease Risk

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A higher risk of death from coronary artery disease is associated with lower socioeconomic status compared to higher socioeconomic status. Four unhealthy habits explain more than half of the inequalities. A new study was published in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine().

Coronary artery disease, also referred to as coronary heart disease or ischemic heart disease, is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. It develops when plaque accumulates in the arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart, causing a blockage and restricting the flow of blood.

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Lower socioeconomic level individuals are more susceptible to the condition. At the same time, prior research has produced mixed findings about the contribution of unhealthy habits like smoking to the observed differences in disease-related mortality.

Behavioral Risks Linked to Coronary Artery Disease

In the new study, researchers used data from 5,24,035 people aged 25 years and older whose mortality statuses were recorded in the National Death Index and who answered the National Health Interview Survey on demographics and health behaviors.

The team used education as the primary indicator of socioeconomic status and investigated four behavioral risk factors:

1. Smoking
2. Alcohol use
3. Physical inactivity
4. Body Mass Index (BMI)

The four factors together explained 74% of the differences in mortality risk from coronary artery disease in men belonging to different socioeconomic levels and 61% in women.

Heart Health Campaigns to Bridge the Knowledge Gap

The researchers conclude that their results underscore the need for effective public health policies and interventions targeting these behaviors individually.

They emphasize that unhealthy behaviors often cluster among individuals from low socioeconomic backgrounds, making it important to address them collectively as well.

They urge public health campaigns to raise awareness about heart health with messaging and outreach efforts customized for male and female audiences. The authors add, "These efforts are crucial to reducing the socioeconomic disparities in deaths from coronary artery disease in the U.S.

Reference:

1. Behavioral risk factors and socioeconomic inequalities in ischemic heart disease mortality in the United States: A causal mediation analysis using record linkage data - (https:journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1004455)

Source: Eurekalert