Summary: Most of those who had first cardiovascular events had 2 or more reversible risk factors, suggesting that many of these events could have been prevented or delayed.
Source: Lee, et al J of Am College of Cardiology October 7, 2025 RF = risk factor
Major adverse cardiovascular events are the number one cause of death in the U.S., and a major cause of sickness and disability. We know that quitting smoking and better controlling blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure lowers the risk of cardiovascular events.
Researchers reported last week in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that of virtually all of those in a large Korean database (over 9 million people) and a smaller US database (6803 people) who had first cardiovascular events (99.6%-99.7%) had at least one risk factor for heart disease. Well over half had three or four risk factors.
Over one-quarter of those with first cardiovascular events in the U.S. had all four major modifiable risk factors (smoking, and inadequately treated high blood sugar, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.)
Implications for employers:
Most people who have a first heart attack or other cardiovascular event have reversible risk factors.
Employers can offer unlimited access to programs to help people quit smoking. Many people have to try multiple times before they successfully quit, and most smokers want to quit.
Employers can ask their medical carriers what they are doing to improve treatment of diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol in their populations.
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Views expressed in Employer Coverage are purely my own.