An alarming new study was published in Circulation, the American Heart Association’s scientific journal. Between 1999 and 2004, researchers tracked participants and found that only 7.5% of Americans between the ages of 25 and 74 were at low risk for cardiovascular disease. That was down from 10.5% in a study done between 1988 and 1994.

To be considered low risk, the participants had to be:

• A non-smoker
• Their total cholesterol had to be below 200 mg/dL without cholesterol-lowering drugs
• Their blood pressure had to be below 120 over 80 mmHg without blood pressure-lowering drugs
• They had to be at a healthy weight
• They could never have been diagnosed with diabetes

The biggest contributor to the drop since the last survey? The number of people who were overweight. About 41% of participants were considered to be at a healthy weight in the previous survey, while it decreased to just 32% between 1999 and 2004.

The criteria is eye-opening because it makes us all consider our own health and whether we’re part of the country’s unhealthy trend. The good news is that when this study was first done from 1971-1975, the numbers were even worse. Then, just 4.4% of Americans were considered at low risk—but we were able to bring that number up to 10.5% in the next survey. So that means we can bring that number up once again—The question is: How?

Peggy Woodward

Food Editor, Healthy Cooking