The Show on KJZZ

Listen live weekdays at 9 a.m.

Less than 1 in 15 adults have good heart and metabolic health

Published: Tuesday, July 5, 2022 - 9:00am
Audio icon Download mp3 (1.11 MB)

A new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology says people in the U.S. are at a critical inflection point for heart and metabolic fitness.

The paper finds less than 1 in 15 adults have good health in those areas — and the rate is trending downward.

Researchers assessed 55,000 Americans ages 20 and older for blood pressure, blood sugar, blood cholesterol, obesity and cardiovascular diseases.

Only 6.8%  had optimal levels in all five areas as of 2017-18.

Trends between 1999 and 2018 also worsened significantly for obesity and blood glucose, hinting at a looming crisis.

In addition, the researchers found large health disparities between people of different sexes, ages, races and ethnicities. 

Science Health + Medicine