Status of Cardiovascular Health in US Adults: Prevalence Estimates From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 2003–2008
Open accessAbstract
Background—: The American Heart Association's 2020 Strategic Impact Goals define a new concept, cardiovascular (CV) health; however, current prevalence estimates of the status of CV health in US adults according to age, sex, and race/ethnicity have not been published. Methods and Results—: We included 14 515 adults (≥20 years of age) from the 2003 to 2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Participants were stratified by young (20–39 years), middle (40–64 years), and older (≥65 years) ages. CV health behaviors (diet, physical activity, body mass index, smoking) and CV health factors (blood pressure, total cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, smoking) were defined as poor, intermediate, or ideal. Fewer than 1% of adults exhibited ideal CV health for all 7 metrics. For CV health behaviors, nonsmoking was most prevalent (range, 60.2%–90.4%), whereas ideal Healthy Diet Score was least prevalent (range, 0.2%–2.6%) across groups. Prevalences of ideal body mass index (range, 36.5%–45.3%) and ideal physical activity levels (range, 50.2%–58.8%) were higher in young adults compared with middle or older ages. Ideal total cholesterol (range, 23.7%–36.2%), blood pressure (range, 11.9%–16.3%), and fasting blood glucose (range, 31.2%–42.9%) were lower in older adults compared with young and middle-aged adults. Prevalence of poor CV health factors was lowest in young age but higher at middle and older ages. Prevalence estimates by age and sex were consistent across race/ethnic groups. Conclusions—: These prevalence estimates of CV health represent a starting point from which effectiveness of efforts to promote CV health and prevent CV disease can be monitored and compared in US adult populations.
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Cardiovascular health is being lost from childhood through young adulthood.
“It is abundantly clear that cardiovascular health is being lost from childhood through young adulthood and that the major reasons are adverse health behaviors related to diet, physical activity, healthy weight maintenance, and smoking.8”
From Better Population Health Through Behavior Change in Adults: A Call to Action (2013) · cites this paper as [8]
The prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health is very low in the US population.
“However, the prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health is very low in the US population, and the prevalence of poor-quality diet, physical inactivity, and overweight/obesity is alarmingly high, presaging a worsening of the current distribution of health biomarkers.1–8”
From Better Population Health Through Behavior Change in Adults: A Call to Action (2013) · cites this paper as [8]
The prevalence of poor-quality diet, physical inactivity, and overweight/obesity is alarmingly high in the US population.
“However, the prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health is very low in the US population, and the prevalence of poor-quality diet, physical inactivity, and overweight/obesity is alarmingly high, presaging a worsening of the current distribution of health biomarkers.1–8”
From Better Population Health Through Behavior Change in Adults: A Call to Action (2013) · cites this paper as [8]
The major reasons for the loss of cardiovascular health from childhood through young adulthood are adverse health behaviors related to diet, physical activity, healthy weight maintenance, and smoking.
“It is abundantly clear that cardiovascular health is being lost from childhood through young adulthood and that the major reasons are adverse health behaviors related to diet, physical activity, healthy weight maintenance, and smoking.8”
From Better Population Health Through Behavior Change in Adults: A Call to Action (2013) · cites this paper as [8]
The high prevalence of poor-quality diet, physical inactivity, and overweight/obesity presages a worsening of the current distribution of health biomarkers.
“However, the prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health is very low in the US population, and the prevalence of poor-quality diet, physical inactivity, and overweight/obesity is alarmingly high, presaging a worsening of the current distribution of health biomarkers.1–8”
From Better Population Health Through Behavior Change in Adults: A Call to Action (2013) · cites this paper as [8]
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References 79 · Cited by 368
- Authors
- Shay, C. M., Ning, H., Allen, N. B., Carnethon, M. R., Chiuve, S. E., Greenlund, K. J., Daviglus, M. L., & Lloyd-Jones, D. M.
- Affiliations
- Northwestern University (US)
- From the Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL (C.M.S., H.N., N.B.A., M.R.C., M.L.D., D.M.L.-J.); Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA (S.E.C.); and Division of Adult and Community Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA (K.J.G.). Dr Shay's current affiliation is the...
- ORCID
- Venue
- Circulation
- Published
- 2012-01
- Volume
- 125
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 45-56
- ISSN
- 0009-7322 (ISSN-L)
- 1524-4539
- PMC
- PMC4077723
- OpenAlex
- W1970035514
- Cited by
- 368
- References
- 79
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 33 · 2016: 46 · 2015: 33 · 2014: 42 · 2013: 39 · 2012: 16
- FWCI
- 21.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Circulation (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (T32HL069771)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiovascular Health and Risk Factors
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes, Cardiovascular Risks, and Lipoproteins
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Keywords
- cardiovascular health, adolescents, cardiovascular health behaviors, blood pressure, physical activity, dietary intake, total cholesterol, blood glucose, body mass index, smoking, sex differences, race and ethnicity, prevalence, obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, dysglycemia
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Health Status, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Nutrition Surveys, United States, Health Behavior, Prevalence, Young Adult
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