Achieving healthy goals: A myth or a reality?

People who meet the 7 healthy goals recommended by the American Heart Association are less likely to die of cardiovascular causes. Here there are:                                                                                               1. Not smoking, 2. Moderate exercise at least 5 times a week, 3. Untreated blood pressure under 120/80, 4. HbA1c under 5.7%, 5. Total cholesterol under 200 mg/Dl, 6. BMI less than 25, 7. A diet high in produce, fish, and whole grains, and low in sodium and sugary beverages. A very few people reached all 7 ideals. Those who met 6-7 goals had reduced risks for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 0.49), compared with participants meeting zero or one goal.

References: Healthy Habits Associated with Reduced Mortality Risk - Physician's First Watch http://bit.ly/N9x8ha

Trends in Cardiovascular Health Metrics and Associations With All-Cause and CVD Mortality Among US Adults - JAMA http://bit.ly/N9xzYO

Conclusion: Further large scale, multi-population based studies are required to come to a definitive outcome.