In a recent study, researchers found that big fluctuations in four things: Blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and body mass index (BMI), may mean higher risks of heart disease and stroke.
The research was conducted by a team of South Korean researchers.
Previous research has shown that variability in fasting blood glucose and cholesterol, blood pressure, and body weight could affect health.
But it has been unknown whether variability in these numbers linked to a higher risk of heart disease and stroke in the general population.
In the study, the team analyzed health exam data and insurance records for nearly 7 million adults from the Korean National Health Insurance System.
All of the people did not have diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attack or stroke at the beginning of the study.
The researchers found that during a follow-up of 5 years, healthy people whose numbers fluctuated the most had the highest risk of heart attack or stroke.
Moreover, these people had the worst health outcomes: They were 127% more likely to die; 43% more likely to have a heart attack; and 41% more likely to have a stroke.
The findings suggest that fluctuations in blood sugar, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and BMI may help predict one’s risks of heart disease and stroke.
It is important that people regularly check these health measures to prevent diseases.
In addition, doctors need to pay attention to changes in their patients’ risk factors.
The senior author of the study is Dr. Seung-Hwan Lee, a metabolic health expert at the College of Medicine of the Catholic University of Korea in Seoul.
The study is published in the journal Circulation.
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