Study finds a decline in heart attacks over 20 years, but rising BMIs may reverse this in the future
Thursday, June 9, 2011 - 04:30
in Health & Medicine
Better control of cholesterol levels and blood pressure and a decline in smoking have contributed to a 74% drop in the risk of heart attack among nearly 10,000 civil servants working in London over a 20-year period, according to new research. However, the reduction would have been even greater were it not for the fact that more people became fatter during this time, and this rise in body mass index (BMI) accounted for an estimated 11% increased risk of heart attack over the same period.