Lecture 25: CVD Epidemiology 2

Question 1

What is the cardio-protective, cancer-protective and obesity-protective diet?

Answer 1

• Eat (Whole) foods, not too much, mainly plants
• Low in saturated fat, salt, processed meats, processed carbs, alcohol
• High in minimally processed fruit, vegetables, grains, nuts and pulses
• A traditional mediterranean or east asian diet without so much salt (mediterr-Asian)

Question 2

Main causes of CVD and stroke?

Answer 2

• Increased blood LDL cholesterol / Increased sat. fat diet
• Increased pressure / Increase BMI, Increased Salt, Increased alc
• Increased blood sugar, increased BMI
• Smoking

Question 3

What is the public health approach to CVD?

Answer 3

Taxation
Legislation
Reformulation
Local policy
Lobby groups

Question 4

What is the point of rod jackons lecture?

Answer 4

The values used to define diabetes, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia are arbitrary

They are all a continuum and spectrum and relative risk is much more important when considering treatments.

Question 5

What is found when treating people with CVD risk?

Answer 5

Interventions i.e anti-hypertension, statins etc reduce risk by about 50% regardless of their risk. Thus those with the highest risks experience the greatest benefits.

Question 6

Using hypertension as an example how does the total CVD events change across the risk groups?

Answer 6

An ideal health profile with a systolic blood pressure of 160mmHg will have a far less chance of CVD event than a high risk individual with blood pressure of 120mmHg (not-hypertensive)

i.e the non-hypertensive might not be treated despite of being far higher risk based on the arbitrary 140mmHg value.

Question 7

Where is the greatest benefit found?

Answer 7

Treating the highest risk profiles, even if the improvement is minimal the prevention of CVD events is far greater.