Controlling Cardiovascular Risk Factors Can Add Up to 14 Years to Life, UFSC Study Shows
A global study involving UFSC shows that controlling cardiovascular risk factors can increase life expectancy by up to 14 years, with Brazil’s public health system playing a key supportive role.
- • Controlling five cardiovascular risk factors can extend lifespan by up to 14 years.
- • Study analyzed data from over 2 million individuals across 39 countries.
- • Risk factors include hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, diabetes, and smoking.
- • Brazil's public health system (SUS) supports prevention and treatment.
- • Women may gain up to 14.5 years, men up to 11.8 years by age 50 through risk control.
Key details
A major international study coauthored by the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) reveals that managing five key cardiovascular risk factors can significantly extend lifespan. The research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, analyzed data from over 2 million participants across 39 countries and 133 cohorts. The five modifiable risk factors identified are hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, diabetes, and smoking.
According to the findings, individuals who control these factors by age 50 can improve their life expectancy by up to 14.5 years for women and 11.8 years for men. Additionally, women could gain 13.3 years and men 10.6 years of life free from cardiovascular disease by effective management of these risks.
UFSC’s Professor Eleonora d’Orsi emphasized the importance of societal support for healthier lifestyles and the role of public health initiatives. Brazil’s Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) offers an advantage by providing preventive care and treatment targeting these risk factors, reinforcing the country’s capability to benefit from such longevity gains.
This robust global study highlights the critical need for continued public health efforts and individual commitment to cardiovascular risk control, holding promise for substantial increases in healthy lifespan worldwide, including Brazil.