Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Knowledge Gateway
A reference point for public health policy makers with reliable, independent and up-to date information on topics related to promotion of health and well-being.
evidence from dietary intervention studies that decreasing the intakes of products rich in saturated fatty acids by replacement with products rich in n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (without changing total fat intake) decreases the number of cardiovascular events.
Strong and consistent evidence […] shows that replacing saturated fatty acids with polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces the risk of CVD events and coronary mortality.
‘A high dietary fibre intake, mainly from whole-grain products, reduces the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipoproteinaemia, cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer at varying evidence levels.’
'WHO recommends a reduction in sodium intake to reduce blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and coronary heart disease in adults'.
'High and moderate-quality evidence that consuming <2 g sodium/day compared with consuming ≥2 g sodium/day is beneficial for reducing blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and coronary heart disease in adults'
'There are […] convincing data that high salt intake has an indirect effect on the risk of cardiovascular diseases, which is mediated by the level of blood pressure'.
'[A] direct association between high salt intake and the risk of cardiovascular diseases is not unambiguously clear. The evidence is disparate or even inconsistent, so that there is currently no unambiguous proof that high salt intake increases the risk of cardiovascular disease'.
'Fruits and vegetables may promote cardiovascular health through a variety of micronutrients, antioxidants, phytochemicals, flavonoids, fibre and potassium'.
'In all meta-analyses concerning fruit intake, there was a significant reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases. This applies to both endpoints – coronary heart disease and stroke'.
'Strong and consistent evidence demonstrates that dietary patterns associated with decreased risk of CVD are characterized by higher consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and seafood, and lower consumption of red and processed meat, and lower intakes of refined grains, and sugar-sweetened foods and beverages relative to less healthy patterns'.
'Regular consumption of nuts and legumes […] are shown to be components of a beneficial dietary pattern in most studies. Randomized dietary intervention studies have demonstrated that healthy dietary patterns exert clinically meaningful impact on cardiovascular risk factors, including blood lipids and blood pressure'.
'No significant association is observed between sugars consumption and incidence of coronary events […]'
'There is […] insufficient evidence to assess the link between individual sugars and sugars-sweetened foods and beverages and cardio-metabolic outcomes'.
'Moderate evidence […] indicates that higher intake of added sugars, especially in the form of sugar sweetened beverages, is consistently associated with increased risk of hypertension, stroke, and CHD in adults'.
'[A] diet rich in dietary fibre (mostly defined as AOAC) reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and colo-rectal cancer […]. Despite inconsistency between studies in the definitions of whole grains, greater consumption of whole grains is associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease[…].'
There is moderate evidence that there is an adverse relationship between higher consumption of whole grains and cardiovascular disease.
'Strong evidence demonstrates a significant relationship between greater amounts of physical activity and decreased incidence of cardiovascular disease, stroke and heart failure'. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether this relationship varies by age, sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or weight status.
'There is no lower limit for the relation of moderate-to-vigorous physical ac tivity and risk reduction. Risk appears to continue to decrease with increased exposure up to at least five times the current recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.'
'Strong evidence demonstrates the existence of a direct, positive dose-response relationship between sedentary behavior and mortality from cardiovascular disease.’ There is insufficient evidence to determine whether this relationship varies by age, sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or weight status.
'Strong evidence demonstrates the existence of a direct, graded dose-response relationship between sedentary behavior and risk of incident cardiovascular disease.'
'Strong evidence demonstrates that a strong inverse dose-response relation exists between amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and cardiovascular disease mortality'. Strong evidence demonstrates that this relationship does not vary by age, sex, race, or weight status.
'[E]nergy expenditure of approximately 1000 kcal/week of moderate-intensity physical activity (or about 150 min/week) is associated with lower rates of CVD and premature mortality'.
Tobacco use significantly increases the probability of dying prematurely from several NCD causes of death accounting for 25% of CVD deaths in men and 6% CVD deaths in women.
CVD (particularly heart attacks and stroke) are often fatal events among men who smoke.
Tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure are major causes of cardiovascular disease, contributing to approximately 10% of all cardiovascular deaths globally.
There is an extensive body of evidence showing that smoking tobacco is causally related to almost all major forms of CVD.
'Low levels of exposure, including exposures to secondhand tobacco smoke, lead to rapid and sharp increase in endothelial dysfunction and inflammation, which are implicated in acute cardiovascular events and thrombosis'.
'[E]xposure to secondhand smoke causes an increased risk of stroke'.
There is a sharp increase in CVD risk with low levels of exposure to cigarette smoke, including secondhand smoke, and a less rapid further increase in risk as the number of cigarettes per day increases.
Effect of alcohol consumption on cardiovascular diseases
The highest numbers of alcohol-attributable deaths are from cardiovascular diseases.
Heavy episodic pattern of drinking 'has been linked to injuries and risk of cardiovascular diseases (mainly ischaemic heart disease and ischaemic stroke)'.
Alcohol has been associated with cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease (CHD), atrial fibrillation (AF), ischemic stroke, haemorrhagic stroke and congestive heart failure (CHF).
Health effects of air pollution include cardiovascular hospital admissions, cardiovascular primary care visits, use of cardiovascular medication and chronic cardiovascular disease.
There is strong evidence suggesting that chronic and persistent exposure to air pollution increases the progression of atherosclerotic lesion and has adverse effects on blood pressure regulation, peripheral thrombosis, endothelial function and insulin sensitivity.
Road traffic noise has been shown to increase the risk of ischaemic heart disease, including myocardial infarction. Both road traffic noise and aircraft noise increase the risk of high blood pressure.
Epidemiological studies suggest a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure and myocardial infarction, in people chronically exposed to high levels of road or air traffic noise
Both active and passive smoking have harmful effects on health and may cause cancer. All tobacco products contain a wide range of toxic and cancer-causing compounds.
