Controlling five cardiovascular risk factors could extend lifespan by more than a decade – Healio

Report on Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Their Impact on Sustainable Development Goal 3

Introduction: Aligning Cardiovascular Health with Global Goals

A comprehensive analysis by the Global Cardiovascular Risk Consortium (GCVRC), published in The New England Journal of Medicine, provides critical data supporting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3), which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The research quantifies the impact of modifiable risk factors on longevity and disease-free survival, directly informing strategies for SDG Target 3.4: to reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through prevention and treatment.

Key Research Findings on Modifiable Risk Factors

The study underscores that a significant portion of the global NCD burden is preventable. The findings are based on harmonized individual-level data from over 2 million participants across 133 studies in 39 countries, demonstrating a powerful application of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) to address a global health challenge.

Attributable Risk to NCDs

An initial analysis presented at the 2023 European Society of Cardiology Congress established that over 50% of cardiovascular disease (CVD) cases are attributable to five key modifiable risk factors. This finding is central to developing effective primary prevention strategies to meet SDG 3 targets.

• Systolic Blood Pressure (BP)
• Non-HDL Cholesterol (Hyperlipidemia)
• Body Mass Index (Underweight, Overweight, or Obesity)
• Diabetes
• Smoking

Quantifying the Impact on Life Expectancy and Healthy Life-Years

The research provides compelling evidence that managing these five risk factors by midlife (age 50) can substantially extend healthy lifespans, a core objective of SDG 3. The report details the estimated additional life-years gained by individuals with no risk factors compared to those with all five.

1. Additional Life-Years Free of Cardiovascular Disease:
   • Women: 13.3 years
   • Men: 10.6 years
2. Additional Life-Years Free of All-Cause Death:
   • Women: 14.5 years
   • Men: 11.8 years

The Benefits of Midlife Risk Factor Modification

The study further demonstrates that interventions later in life remain highly effective, reinforcing the importance of continuous health promotion under SDG 3. Modifying risk factors between the ages of 55 and 60 yielded significant gains in healthy life expectancy.

• Improving Blood Pressure: Modifying BP was associated with the most significant gain in CVD-free years, adding an estimated 2.4 years for women and 1.2 years for men.
• Smoking Cessation: Modifying smoking behavior was associated with the largest gain in overall life-years free of death, adding an estimated 2.1 years for women and 2.4 years for men.

Conclusion: An Evidence-Based Roadmap for Achieving SDG 3

This global research effort provides a clear, evidence-based roadmap for public health policy and individual empowerment to combat the leading cause of premature NCD mortality. By focusing on the control of five specific, modifiable risk factors, nations can make substantial progress toward achieving the targets set forth in SDG 3. The findings shift the public health narrative from acknowledging risk to promoting actionable modification strategies that result in additional years of healthy life, directly contributing to global well-being.

Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article is fundamentally about improving health outcomes and increasing life expectancy by managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It focuses on preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD) by controlling “five modifiable risk factors.” This directly aligns with the goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being. The article states that controlling these factors “could extend individuals’ lives by more than a decade.”

What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Target 3.4: Reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases

• The article directly addresses this target by quantifying how managing risk factors for NCDs can reduce premature death. It aims to “estimate the sex-specific lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease and death from any cause” and explores how risk-factor modification leads to “additional years of healthy life.” The core finding is that controlling factors like high BP, diabetes, and obesity can significantly extend “life-years free of heart disease and all-cause death.”

Target 3.a: Strengthen the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

• This target is relevant because the article explicitly identifies “smoking” as one of the five key modifiable risk factors. It provides evidence to support tobacco control by stating that “modification of smoking behavior from age 55 to 60 years was associated with the most additional life-years free of death.”

Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Indicators for Target 3.4

• Mortality from cardiovascular disease: The article’s primary focus is on CVD. It measures the “lifetime risk for CVD” and the “estimated number of additional life-years free of CVD” as outcomes of risk factor control.
• Prevalence of raised blood pressure (hypertension): High BP is listed as a key modifiable risk factor. The article notes that “improvement in BP from age 55 to 60 years was associated with the most additional life-years free of CVD gained.”
• Prevalence of overweight/obesity: The article includes “underweight or overweight or obesity” (measured by BMI) as a critical risk factor contributing to CVD.
• Prevalence of diabetes: “Diabetes” is explicitly named as one of the five modifiable risk factors that contribute to over 50% of CVD cases.

Indicator for Target 3.a

• Prevalence of tobacco use: “Smoking” is identified as a key risk factor. The article measures the impact of quitting, noting it can add “2.1 added years for women… and 2.4 added years for men” free of death, thereby providing a measurable outcome for tobacco control efforts.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

Source: healio.com