A Healthy Reward for Virtue

Cardiovascular disease has been the leading killer of Americans in every year but one in this century--1918, when a virulent flu epidemic swept the world. But evidence grows that heart disease is to a large extent preventable or at least postponable by sticking to a prudent way of life.

The Nurses Health Study has been tracking female health professionals since 1980. In findings presented to a meeting of the American Heart Assn. in Atlanta this week, the Harvard School of Public Health reported that study participants who followed commonplace recommendations for good health--don’t smoke, get some physical activity every day, eat healthily, avoid saturated fat, avoid getting fat--reduced their chances of developing heart disease by as much as 82%. The findings appear to be applicable to men as well.

The apparent benefit of each of these dietary and behavioral habits has been known for some time. What’s clearer now is their impressive combined effectiveness in lessening the chances of heart disease.

But the news out of Atlanta wasn’t all encouraging. Researchers who looked at hearts donated for transplant from 125 people killed in accidents reported finding signs of heart blockages in people--including some teenagers--with no known symptoms of disease. The researchers cite familiar culprits: too little exercise, too much junk food, not enough fruits, vegetables and whole grains in the diet.

The lesson is evident: It’s never too late to drop bad habits and never too early to start cultivating good ones.