‘Heart age’ analysis could save lives says HEART UK expert

July 21, 2011 - PRLog -- Long term ‘heart age’ analysis for people with raised coronary risk factors could save lives according to new recommendations based on recent evidence presented today by leading charity HEART UK.

Premature deaths caused by heart disease in the UK have come down by 40% in the last 12 years, thanks to the implementation of the National Service Framework. The UK started from a high base compared to the rest of Europe but a successful vascular prevention strategy over the past decade has got us in line with the rest of Europe four years ahead of schedule.

Dr Alan Rees, former chairman of the HEART UK Board of Trustees, believes that an integrated approach to assess a patient’s ‘heart age’ could cut deaths from coronary incidents even further.

Dr Rees underlined the importance of a number of factors in helping to prevent premature death. He said: “Risk factors that lead to heart disease include elevated levels of cholesterol, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes and generally poor patterns of lifestyle.  Any successful prevention strategy must involve a co-ordinated integrated approach to all these issues.  

“Until recently the analysis of an individual’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease was based on a 10-year risk assessment. If the risk was above a certain threshold, it was deemed cost effective and appropriate to intervene with drugs for the treatment of lipids, blood pressure or other factors.  

“But the major determinant of risks were based on an individual's chronological age and gender, with a disproportionate concentration of resources on the elderly and in men, ignoring young or middle aged people and particularly females.***

“Introducing the concept of chronological age and heart age can make patients aware of their long term risk of heart disease with new software able to illustrate how lifestyle changes such as stopping smoking or reducing cholesterol can bring heart age back into line with chronological age.”  

The findings Dr Rees will discuss are known as JBS-3, a revision of the former recommendations (JBS-2) published in 2005 by the Joint British Societies.

JBS3 has embraced the concept of lifetime risk, which attempts to identify those people who are still asymptomatic and well but are at high risk over the next two or three decades to develop coronary disease in middle or late middle age. It is therefore deemed appropriate to intervene in these high risk people although they are still currently well and without symptoms.  

HEART UK are experts in cholesterol and they lead the way in education and support for people with both inherited or non-inherited high cholesterol. Their work with governing bodies and medical stakeholders has also helped to further develop guidelines for improved methods of the detection and treatment of cholesterol related conditions.

The Joint British Societies, which is currently chaired by Professor John Deanfield, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Imperial College London, is a coalition of many learned societies which include HEART UK, British Cardiac Society, British Hypertension Society, British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, ABCD, Primary Care Cardiovascular Society, the Stoke Association and others.

NOTES TO EDITORS

HEART UK - The Cholesterol Charity - promotes healthy hearts and better lives by:
•   helping and supporting individuals, families and health professionals to understand and control cholesterol conditions and other heart risks
•   promoting education to improve identification, prevention, treatment and care of cholesterol and lipid conditions
•   working in partnership with government, the NHS, industry and other charities
•   promoting best practice in addressing inherited and non-inherited cholesterol conditions.

Two thirds of the UK have raised cholesterol. Over 120,000 people in Britain have a form of inherited high cholesterol called Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) which can cause premature death  as young as 30 – and only 15% of those with the condition are known.  Leaving over 100,000 yet to be identified.

HEART UK was formed in 2002 following a merger of The Family Heart Association (FHA) and the British Hyperlipidaemia Association (BHA).

The Chief Executive of HEART UK is Jules Payne. Prior to this, she was Deputy Chief Executive at Allergy UK, a charity supporting people with all allergies and intolerances. Her previous background was in business development within the commercial arena and she has experience a multitude of industries, including recruitment, advertising, energy and the grey market.

HEART UK ambassadors include actress Dame Judi Dench, chef Aldo Zilli, Dr. Sarah Jarvis and Dr. Chris Steele.

*** A number of studies including autopsy studies on young American GIs from the Korean War and the Vietnam War have revealed that atherosclerosis (the process of hardening of the arteries) develops in childhood or adolescence and may take decades to manifest itself as a heart attack, stroke or indeed sudden death.  

Over the past 20 years, placebo controlled intervention trials have shown marked benefits from reducing blood cholesterol and reducing blood pressure. However these trials usually last around five years and may underestimate the benefit if these parameters were reduced for two or even three decades.  

People wishing to find out more about FH should contact the HEART UK helpline on 0845 450 5988 or visit www.heartuk.org.uk

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