Is a sedentary lifestyle a risk factor for heart disease?

• A Cleveland Clinic Heart Health Survey reveals that Mexicans exercised less during the pandemic and 50% do not recognise a sedentary lifestyle as a risk factor for heart disease.
• As heart disease rises, a survey of adults across the country reveals that only half follow a specific diet plan and many are unaware of modifiable lifestyle risks.

MEXICO CITY (2022) – A survey of Mexican adults carried out by the global health system Cleveland Clinic found that activity levels decreased overall since the start of the pandemic, and the proportion of people who rarely or never do moderate to vigorous exercise rose from 28% to 40%. In addition, almost half of respondents did not recognise lack of exercise (49%) and a sedentary lifestyle (50%) as risk factors for heart disease.

They were presented with a list of 12 risk factors. Among them, obesity (identified by 73%), stress (65%) and hypertension (63%) were recognised as factors that increase the risk of heart disease.

However, many did not identify key modifiable risk factors such as smoking/vaping (identified by only 54%), not enough exercise (51%) and a sedentary lifestyle (50%). Some also recognised that lack of sleep (33%), excessive exercise (17%) and poor dental health (17%) can increase the risk of developing heart disease.

“Recent figures indicate that heart conditions are the leading cause of death in Mexico. The good news is that around 90% of heart disease is preventable; a heart-healthy diet, regular exercise and not smoking are some of the things patients can do, so we need to raise greater awareness,” says Dr. J. Emanuel Finet, a cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic’s Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute. “This is particularly important during the current global health crisis, as our survey also shows an overall decline in physical activity levels since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

According to the survey, Mexican adults reported an overall decrease in the amount of exercise they did before and after the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Before the pandemic, 72% of Mexican adults often or sometimes did moderate to vigorous exercise and 83% said they walked during the day. This compares with 60% of adults who currently often or sometimes do moderate to vigorous exercise and 74% who often or sometimes walk during the day.

The drop in moderate to vigorous exercise after the pandemic was generally consistent across generations: a 10 to 12 percentage point increase in those who never or rarely exercised, with rises among Generation Z from 31% to 43%, Millennials from 29% to 41%, Generation X from 28% to 39% and Boomers from 24% to 34%.

Other important survey results related to perceptions of the most heart-healthy diets and which diets Mexicans currently follow. When presented with a list of 10 diets, 45% of adults surveyed identified a low-carbohydrate diet as one of the most heart-healthy, followed by a vegetarian diet including eggs and dairy (27%) and a vegan diet (27%). Only 15% of Mexicans identified the Mediterranean diet, recommended by global bodies such as the American Heart Association, as heart-healthy.

While 52% of respondents said they did not currently follow any specific diet plan, 24% reported following a low-carbohydrate diet.

“To promote heart health through diet, we recommend that people reduce their intake of saturated and trans fats and limit sweets, sugary foods and alcohol, while increasing their intake of fruit and vegetables, pulses and nuts, focusing on fish, seafood and lean poultry, as well as high-fibre foods such as whole grains,” said Dr. Finet.

Cleveland Clinic is a global health system first established in the United States in 1921. It regularly carries out heart health surveys in several countries. The survey of the Mexican population was conducted in January this year and is published as part of Cleveland Clinic’s heart health awareness initiative.

Cleveland Clinic is the world’s #1 hospital for cardiac surgery according to the 2022 World’s Best Specialized Hospitals ranking. It has also ranked first among the nation’s cardiology and heart surgery hospitals for 27 consecutive years according to U.S. News & World Report.

Cleveland Clinic has been a leader in heart care since the 1940s, when Dr. Arda Green and Dr. Irvine Page led research teams that isolated serotonin and linked hypertension to heart disease.

Since then, heart-related discoveries and “firsts” have continued at Cleveland Clinic, such as:

• Successfully performed the world’s first arrested-heart surgery in clinical practice (Dr. Donald Effler and Dr. Laurence Groves, 1956)

• Developed selective coronary angiography (Dr. Mason Sones, 1958)

• Helped establish the link between cholesterol and heart disease risk (Dr. Irvine Page and Dr. Helen Brown, 1958-65)

• Pioneered coronary bypass surgery (Dr. Rene Favaloro, 1967)

• Developed a new standard of care in bypass surgery using the mammary artery (Dr. Favaloro and Dr. Floyd Loop, 1971)

• Invented new devices for heart valve repair (Dr. Toby Cosgrove, 1980)

• Led the REVERSAL trial, the first study to show that high-dose statins could halt the progression of coronary artery disease (Dr. Steven Nissen, 2003)

• Linked gut bacteria to high cholesterol, heart failure and chronic kidney disease (Dr. Stanley Hazen, PhD, 2011/ongoing).

 

Survey Methodology: All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. The total sample size was 1,041 adults. Fieldwork was carried out from 17 to 21 January 2022. The survey was conducted online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of Mexican adults (aged 18 and over)

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About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical centre that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based on the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 67,554 employees worldwide are more than 4,520 salaried physicians and researchers, and 17,000 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,026-bed health system that includes a 165-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 19 hospitals, more than 220 outpatient facilities, and locations in southeast Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2019, there were 9.8 million outpatient visits, 309,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 255,000 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries.

• Visit us at clevelandclinic.org.
• Follow us at twitter.com/ClevelandClinic.
• News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.

 

 

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