Important News
A REGARDS study examines factors associated with higher risk of incident hypertension among black adults
The high prevalence of hypertension (abnormally high blood pressure) among the US black population is a major contributor to disparities in life expectancy; however, the causes for higher incidence of hypertension among black adults are unknown. In this study, REGARDS investigators found that the most important factor contributing to differences in hypertension incidence between black and white participants was the Southern dietary pattern, accounting for 51.6% of the excess risk among black men and 29.2% of the excess risk among black women.
Do age and race differences determine risk of stroke in women and men?
A new REGARDS study suggests that white women were less likely to have a stroke than white men, but at age 75 and older, there was no difference in stroke risk between white women and men. In contrast, the study found that black women were at lower risk of stroke than black men only until age 64, with a similar stroke risk in the age group of 65 and older.
Your Stroke Risk May Differ by How Long You Sleep
In our REGARDS volunteers, we found that stroke risk is different for black and white men depending on how long they sleep.
Targeting cardiovascular disease risk factors may be important across a lifetime
October 3, 2016 - New REGARDS findings suggest that all adults, including those over 65, should be mindful of risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The results were published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society.
"As life expectancy continues to increase, we need to improve risk factor prevention and management for stroke and heart disease across the lifespan, including for those adults over the age of 65," said Claudia Moy, Ph.D., acting director of the Office of Clinical Research at NINDS, and one of the study authors. "The latest findings from the REGARDS study reveal that no age group is immune to risk factors related to cardiovascular disease and that prevention efforts should target all adults."
Cardiovascular risk linked to the profession in older workers
PHOENIX, March 1, 2016 — Workers age 45 and older in sales, office-support or service occupations appear to have more risk factors for heart disease and stroke than workers in management or professional jobs, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology/Lifestyle 2016 meeting.
Overall, although more than 88 percent of workers age 45 and older did not smoke and 78 percent had ideal glucose levels, fewer than 41 percent of the workers had “ideal cardiovascular health” in five other measures, and new research found wide variation in the cardiovascular risk profiles by profession. The study involved 5,566 employed men and women, black or white, who did not have a history of heart disease or stroke at the beginning of the study.