Early warning signs tied to nearly all heart attacks and strokes

A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reports that four factors — high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and smoking — were present before nearly all heart attacks and strokes in the analysed populations.

Researchers analysed health data from populations in South Korea and the United States and reported that nearly all people who later had a heart attack or stroke had at least one of four conditions. The study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The article notes that cardiovascular disease remains a major cause of death in the UK and elsewhere. The report presents these four conditions as possible early warning signs before such events. Key findings: - The four categories identified were high blood pressure, high cholesterol, elevated blood sugar, and smoking. - The analysis used population data from South Korea and the United States. - When considered together, these factors were present in about 99 percent of the cardiovascular events sampled. - Around 93 percent of those sampled had hypertension before a heart attack or stroke. Summary: The study's authors said the priority is now to find ways to control these modifiable risk factors rather than focus on factors that are not easily treatable. The finding was presented alongside statistics noting the high burden of cardiovascular disease in the UK and internationally.