Impact of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Middle Age on Later Ages of Life -- a Life Course Approach

Abdullah Al Mamun, University of Groningen
Anna Peeters, Erasmus University
Frans Willekens, University of Groningen
Luc Bonneux, Erasmus University

We focus on the important CVD risk factors during adulthood and their impact on CVD and mortality at later ages of life. Using first 48 years follow-up of the Framingham Heart Study original cohort, we construct multistate life table (MSLT) for the optimal (never smokers, blood pressure<120, cholesterol <200 and BMI<25) and high (always smokers, blood pressure >140, cholesterol>240 and BMI>30) risk groups. On average 4 in 5 male/female of optimal risk free of cardiovascular disease at age 50 would still alive and free of cardiovascular disease twenty years later, only 2 or 3 in 10 of high risk, would remain in this state. Both male and female at age 50 with optimal risk can expect to survive 17 additional years free of cardiovascular disease than high risk. Optimal risk at adulthood increase the remarkable number of years lived free of cardiovascular disease and compress morbidity.