American Heart Association's life simple 7 and the risk of atrial fibrillation in the PREDIMED study cohort.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The American Heart Association proposed 7 ideal cardiovascular health metrics (Life's Simple 7 [LS7]) namely, not smoking, body mass index <25 kg/m2, healthy diet, moderate physical activity ≥150 min/week, total blood cholesterol <200 mg/dL, blood pressure <120/80 mmHg and fasting blood glucose <100 mg/dL. Our objective was to assess the association between these LS7 metrics and the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 6,479 participants of the PREDIMED study were included. We calculated the participants' baseline LS7 index ranging 0-7 points to categorize them according to their adherence to these LS7 health metrics. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to estimate Hazard Ratios (HR) and their 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI). After a median follow-up of 4.8 years, we identified 250 incident cases of AF. After adjusting for potential confounders, adherence to LS7 index was not associated with the incidence of AF (adjusted HR 0.90 [95% CI: 0.56-1.45] for highest vs. lowest LS7 categories). Body mass index <25 kg/m2 was the only health metric individually associated with a lower risk of AF (HR 0.36 [95% CI: 0.16-0.78]). CONCLUSIONS: In a high cardiovascular risk Spanish population, adherence to American Heart Association's LS7 metrics was not associated with the risk of incident AF. CLINICAL TRIALS NUMBER: ISRCTN35739639.

The Association Between the Mediterranean Lifestyle Index and All-Cause Mortality in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra Cohort.

INTRODUCTION: Overall lifestyle patterns rather than individual factors may exert greater reductions on chronic disease risk and mortality. The objective is to study the association between a Mediterranean lifestyle index and all-cause and cause-specific mortality. METHODS: Investigators analyzed data from 20,494 participants in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra cohort in 2019. The Mediterranean lifestyle index is composed of 28 items on food consumption, dietary habits, physical activity, rest, and social interactions that score 0 or 1 point; scores theoretically could range from 0 to 28 points. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 12.1 years, 407 deaths were observed. In the multivariable-adjusted model, high adherence (>14 points) to the Mediterranean lifestyle was associated with a 41% relative reduction in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio=0.59, 95% CI=0.42, 0.83) compared with low adherence (3-10 points, p<0.001 for trend). For each additional point, the multivariable hazard ratios for all-cause mortality were 0.95 (95% CI=0.89, 1.02) for food consumption; 1.00 (95% CI=0.92, 1.08) for dietary habits; and 0.73 (95% CI=0.66, 0.80) for physical activity, rest, social habits, and conviviality. Significant interaction with age at last contact (p<0.001) suggested a lower risk for each additional point among participants aged ≥50 years (hazard ratio=0.50, 95% CI=0.34, 0.74), whereas no association was found for participants aged <50 years (hazard ratio=1.15, 95% CI=0.54, 2.44). CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to a Mediterranean lifestyle may reduce the risk of mortality in a Spanish cohort of university graduates. Inverse associations were found for the overall Mediterranean lifestyle score and lifestyle block, whereas no associations were observed for the dietary blocks. Future research should consider the Mediterranean lifestyle beyond the Mediterranean diet in different populations for the promotion of healthy longevity. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT02669602.

Lifestyle behavior and the risk of type 2 diabetes in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) cohort.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We prospectively assessed the association between a healthy lifestyle score (HLS) and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a Mediterranean cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS: We followed up 11,005 participants initially free of diabetes diagnosis in the "Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra" (SUN) cohort. We evaluated the influence of lifestyle-related factors based on a score previously related to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Only one incident case of T2DM was found among those with a baseline BMI ≤22 kg/m2. Therefore, we excluded the BMI item and restricted the analysis to participants with a baseline BMI >22 kg/m2. We measured the baseline adherence of a HLS that included: never smoking, physical activity, Mediterranean diet adherence, moderate alcohol consumption, avoidance of binge drinking, low television exposure, taking a short nap, spending time with friends and working hours. Incident cases of T2DM were self-reported by participants and confirmed by a physician. Cox proportional-hazards regression models were fitted to assess the association between HLS and the incidence of T2DM. After a median follow-up of 12 years, 145 incident cases of T2DM were observed. Among participants with a BMI >22 kg/m2, the highest category of HLS adherence (7-9 points) showed a significant 46% relatively decreased hazard of T2DM compared with the lowest category (0-4 points) (multivariable adjusted HR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.30-0.99). CONCLUSIONS: Higher adherence to a HLS, including some factors not typically studied, may reduce T2DM risk. Preventive efforts should preferentially focus on weight control. However, this score may promote a comprehensive approach to diabetes prevention beyond weight reduction.

Lifestyle-Related Factors and Total Mortality in a Mediterranean Prospective Cohort.

INTRODUCTION: Lifestyle-related habits have a strong influence on morbidity and mortality worldwide. This study investigates the association between a multidimensional healthy lifestyle score and all-cause mortality risk, including in the score some less-studied lifestyle-related factors. METHODS: Participants (n=20,094) of the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra cohort were followed up from 1999 to 2018. The analysis was conducted in 2019. A 10-point healthy lifestyle score previously associated with a lower risk of major cardiovascular events was applied, assigning 1 point to each of the following items: never smoking, moderate-to-high physical activity, moderate-to-high Mediterranean diet adherence, healthy BMI, moderate alcohol consumption, avoidance of binge drinking, low TV exposure, short afternoon nap, time spent with friends, and working ≥40 hours per week. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 10.8 years, 407 deaths were documented. In the multivariable adjusted analysis, the highest category of adherence to the score (7-10 points) showed a 60% lower risk of all-cause mortality than the lowest category (0-3 points) (hazard ratio=0.40, 95% CI=0.27, 0.60, p<0.001 for trend). In analyses of the healthy lifestyle score as a continuous variable, for each additional point in the score, a 18% relatively lower risk of all-cause mortality was observed (adjusted hazard ratio=0.82, 95% CI=0.76, 0.88). CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to a healthy lifestyle score, including some less-studied lifestyle-related factors, was longitudinally associated with a substantially lower mortality rate in a Mediterranean cohort. Comprehensive health promotion should be a public health priority.

Lifestyles and the risk of depression in the "Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra" cohort.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyles are involved in the pathogenesis of depression and many of these factors can be modified for the potential prevention of depression. Our aim was to assess the association between a healthy-lifestyle score, that includes some less-studied lifestyle indicators, and the risk of depression. METHODS: We followed 14,908 participants initially free of any history of depression in the "Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra" (SUN) cohort. Information was collected biennially from 1999 to December 2016. We calculated a healthy-lifestyle score (0-10 points), previously associated with cardioprotection, by giving one point to each of the following components: never smoking, physical activity (> 20 METs-h/week), Mediterranean diet adherence (≥ 4 points), healthy body mass index (≤ 22  kg/m2), moderate alcohol consumption (women 0.1-5 g/d; men 0.1-10 g/d of ethanol), avoidance of binge drinking (never more than 5 alcoholic drinks in a row), low television exposure (≤ 2 h/d), short afternoon nap (≤ 30 min/day), time spent with friends (>1 h/d) and working at least 40  h/week. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 10.4 years, we observed 774 new cases of major depression among participants initially free of depression. The highest category (8-10 factors) showed a significant inverse association with a 32% relative risk reduction for depression compared to the lowest category (0-3 factors) (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio: 0.68; 95% CI:0.49-0.95) (p for trend = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: Adopting a healthy-lifestyle was associated with a lower risk of incident depression in the SUN cohort. This index, including ten simple healthy lifestyle habits, may be useful for a more integrative approach to depression prevention.

The role of lifestyle behaviour on the risk of hypertension in the SUN cohort: The hypertension preventive score.

Lifestyles may influence the risk of hypertension. Our objective was to assess the association between a healthy-lifestyle score and the incidence of hypertension. The SUN Project is a dynamic, prospective cohort of Spanish university graduates (1999-2014). Among 14,057 participants initially free of hypertension, we assessed the influence of lifestyle-related factors based on a 10-item score that we previously reported to be associated with lower risk of major cardiovascular events. However, we focused on factors related to hypertension risk according to previous scientific evidence and international clinical guidelines and constructed a 6-item score including: no smoking, moderate-to-high physical activity, Mediterranean diet adherence, healthy body mass index, moderate alcohol intake and no binge drinking. We fitted Cox regression models to adjust for potential confounders. During a median follow-up of 10.2 years, we identified 1406 incident cases of medically diagnosed hypertension. The risk of developing hypertension was linearly reduced as participants better adhered to a healthy lifestyle pattern built by summing up these 6 factors (p for trend<0.001). The highest category (5-6 factors) exhibited a significant 46% relative reduction in the risk of developing hypertension compared to the lowest category (0-1 factors) (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.42-0.68). Among the components of the score, BMI was apparently the main factor driving the association between the HLS and lower risk of hypertension. A healthy-lifestyle score including six simple healthy habits was longitudinally and linearly associated with a substantially reduced risk of hypertension. This index may be a useful tool for hypertension prevention.

Relación entre un índice de estilo de vida saludable y el riesgo de enfermedad cardiovascular en la cohorte SUN / Association between a healthy lifestyle score and the risk of cardiovascular disease in the SUN cohort

Introducción y objetivos: El estilo de vida saludable (EVS) es clave para conseguir una salud cardiovascular óptima. El objetivo es analizar la asociación entre un índice combinado de EVS y la incidencia de eventos clínicos de enfermedad cardiovascular (ECV). Métodos: El proyecto SUN es una cohorte prospectiva, dinámica y multipropósito de graduados universitarios con una retención total del 92%. En 19.336 participantes se calculó un índice de EVS de 0-10 puntos: no fumar, actividad física (> 20 MET-h/semana), adhesión a dieta mediterránea (≥ 4/8 puntos), bajo índice de masa corporal (≤ 22), consumo de alcohol moderado (mujeres, 0,1-5 g/día; varones, 0,1-10 g/día), poca exposición a la televisión (< 2 h/día), no beber en atracones (≤ 5 bebidas alcohólicas en cualquier ocasión), dormir una breve siesta (< 30 min/día), estar con los amigos más de 1 h/día y trabajar más de 40 h/semana. Resultados: Tras una mediana de 10,4 años, se identificaron 140 casos de ECV incidentes. Tras ajustar por posibles confusores, un mejor índice de EVS (7-10 puntos) se asoció con una reducción relativa del 78% del riesgo de ECV primaria en comparación con la categoría inferior (0-3 puntos) (HR ajustada = 0,22; IC95%, 0,11-0,46). Cada hábito se asoció individualmente con un menor riesgo de ECV. Conclusiones: Un índice que incluye un amplio número de hábitos saludables se asoció con menor riesgo de ECV primaria. Este índice apoya la prevención de la ECV mediante un índice de estilo de vida simple, que no precisa incluir los factores de riesgo tradicionales

Introduction and objectives: A healthy lifestyle (HLS) is essential to attaining optimal cardiovascular health. Our objective was to assess the association between a HLS score and the incidence of hard cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. Methods: The SUN project is a dynamic, prospective, multipurpose cohort of Spanish university graduates with a retention proportion of 92%. In 19 336 participants, we calculated a HLS score ranging from 0 to 10 points: never smoking, physical activity (> 20 METs-h/wk), Mediterranean diet adherence (≥ 4/8 points), low body mass index (≤ 22), moderate alcohol intake (women, 0.1-5 g/d; men, 0.1-10 g/d), low television exposure (≤ 2 h/d), no binge drinking (≤ 5 alcoholic drinks anytime), taking a short afternoon nap (< 30 min/d), meeting up with friends > 1 h/d and working > 40 h/wk. Results: After a median follow-up of 10.4 years, we identified 140 incident cases of CVD. After adjustment for potential confounders, the highest category of HLS score adherence (7-10 points) showed a significant 78% relative reduction in the risk of primary CVD compared with the lowest category (0-3 points) (adjusted HR, 0.22; 95%CI, 0.11-0.46). Each healthy habit was individually associated with a lower risk of CVD. Conclusions A HLS score including several simple healthy habits was associated with a lower risk of developing primary CVD. This index may be useful to reinforce CVD prevention without the need to include traditional risk factors

High Body Adiposity Drives Glucose Intolerance and Increases Cardiovascular Risk in Normoglycemic Subjects.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the utility of the 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) value to discriminate between different cardiometabolic profiles and examine the role of body composition in predicting the associated increased risk for glucose impairment, beta-cell dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: Subjects with normal fasting glucose completed a 2-hour OGTT and were categorized to the carbohydrate metabolism alterations (CMAs) or the control group based on a 2-hour glucose threshold of 7.8 mmol/L. Body composition, visceral adipose tissue, OGTT-based parameters, and cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and smoking status were measured. RESULTS: Subjects with CMAs exhibited a significantly higher 1-hour postload glucose level and a greater decline in beta-cell function and CVRF profiles. After multivariate adjustment, an excess of total body and visceral fat was associated with an increased risk of CMAs, beta-cell dysfunction, CVRFs, and lower whole-body insulin sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: These data support the etiopathogenic role of body and visceral fat in the development of glucose derangements and CVRFs early on in the metabolic dysregulation process. Thus, body composition analysis and OGTT assessment performed in individuals with normal fasting glucose enable a better identification of patients at risk of developing type 2 diabetes and CVD.

Healthy Lifestyle and Incidence of Metabolic Syndrome in the SUN Cohort.

We assessed the relationship between a healthy lifestyle and the subsequent risk of developing metabolic syndrome. The "Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra" (SUN) Project is a prospective cohort study, focused on nutrition, lifestyle, and chronic diseases. Participants (n = 10,807, mean age 37 years, 67% women) initially free of metabolic syndrome were followed prospectively for a minimum of 6 years. To evaluate healthy lifestyle, nine habits were used to derive a Healthy Lifestyle Score (HLS): Never smoking, moderate to high physical activity (>20 MET-h/week), Mediterranean diet (≥4/8 adherence points), moderate alcohol consumption (women, 0.1⁻5.0 g/day; men, 0.1⁻10.0 g/day), low television exposure (<2 h/day), no binge drinking (≤5 alcoholic drinks at any time), taking a short afternoon nap (<30 min/day), meeting up with friends >1 h/day, and working at least 40 h/week. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the harmonizing definition. The association between the baseline HLS and metabolic syndrome at follow-up was assessed with multivariable-adjusted logistic regressions. During follow-up, we observed 458 (4.24%) new cases of metabolic syndrome. Participants in the highest category of HLS adherence (7⁻9 points) enjoyed a significantly reduced risk of developing metabolic syndrome compared to those in the lowest category (0⁻3 points) (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.47⁻0.93). Higher adherence to the Healthy Lifestyle Score was associated with a lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome. The HLS may be a simple metabolic health promotion tool.

Association Between a Healthy Lifestyle Score and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in the SUN Cohort.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: A healthy lifestyle (HLS) is essential to attaining optimal cardiovascular health. Our objective was to assess the association between a HLS score and the incidence of hard cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. METHODS: The SUN project is a dynamic, prospective, multipurpose cohort of Spanish university graduates with a retention proportion of 92%. In 19 336 participants, we calculated a HLS score ranging from 0 to 10 points: never smoking, physical activity (> 20 METs-h/wk), Mediterranean diet adherence (≥ 4/8 points), low body mass index (≤ 22), moderate alcohol intake (women, 0.1-5g/d; men, 0.1-10g/d), low television exposure (≤ 2h/d), no binge drinking (≤ 5 alcoholic drinks anytime), taking a short afternoon nap (< 30min/d), meeting up with friends> 1h/d and working> 40h/wk. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 10.4 years, we identified 140 incident cases of CVD. After adjustment for potential confounders, the highest category of HLS score adherence (7-10 points) showed a significant 78% relative reduction in the risk of primary CVD compared with the lowest category (0-3 points) (adjusted HR, 0.22; 95%CI, 0.11-0.46). Each healthy habit was individually associated with a lower risk of CVD. CONCLUSIONS: A HLS score including several simple healthy habits was associated with a lower risk of developing primary CVD. This index may be useful to reinforce CVD prevention without the need to include traditional risk factors.

Living at Higher Altitude and Incidence of Overweight/Obesity: Prospective Analysis of the SUN Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Residence at high altitude has been associated with lower obesity rates probably due to hypoxia conditions. However, there is no evidence of this association in a free-living population. OBJECTIVES: We assessed the association between the altitude where each participant of a Spanish cohort (the SUN Project) was living and the incidence of overweight/obesity. METHODS: The SUN Project is a dynamic, prospective, multipurpose cohort of Spanish university graduates with a retention rate of 89%. We included in the analysis 9 365 participants free of overweight/obesity at baseline. At the baseline questionnaire, participants reported their postal code and the time they had been living in their city/village. We imputed the altitude of each postal code according to the data of the Spanish National Cartographic Institute and categorized participants in tertiles. We used Cox regression models to adjust for potential confounding variables. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 10 years, we identified 2 156 incident cases of overweight/obesity. After adjusting for sex, age, time of residence at current city, baseline body mass index, physical activity, sedentarism and years of education (≤ 3 years, ≥ 4 years, Master/PhD), those participants in the third tertile (>456 m) exhibited a statistically significant 14% reduction in the risk of developing overweight/obesity in comparison to those in the first tertile (<124 m) (adjusted HR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.77, 0.96). CONCLUSIONS: Living in cities of higher altitude was inversely associated with the risk of developing overweight/obesity in a cohort of Spanish university graduates.

Living at a Geographically Higher Elevation Is Associated with Lower Risk of Metabolic Syndrome: Prospective Analysis of the SUN Cohort.

Living in a geographically higher altitude affects oxygen availability. The possible connection between environmental factors and the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) feature is not fully understood, being the available epidemiological evidence still very limited. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the longitudinal association between altitude and incidence of MetS and each of its components in a prospective Spanish cohort, The Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) project. Our study included 6860 highly educated subjects (university graduates) free from any MetS criteria at baseline. The altitude of residence was imputed with the postal code of each individual subject residence according to the data of the Spanish National Cartographic Institute and participants were categorized into tertiles. MetS was defined according to the harmonized definition. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between the altitude of residence and the risk of MetS during follow-up. After a median follow-up period of 10 years, 462 incident cases of MetS were identified. When adjusting for potential confounders, subjects in the highest category of altitude (>456 m) exhibited a significantly lower risk of developing MetS compared to those in the lowest tertile (<122 m) of altitude of residence [Model 2: Hazard ratio = 0.75 (95% Confidence interval: 0.58-0.97); p for trend = 0.029]. Living at geographically higher altitude was associated with a lower risk of developing MetS in the SUN project. Our findings suggest that geographical elevation may be an important factor linked to metabolic diseases.