Scientific rationale:
Diversity of lifestyle factors including such as cigarette smoking, body mass index, diet, physical activity, total cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose and blood pressure, waist circumference, alternative healthy eating Index and alcohol consumption result a deeply effect on the risk of getting chronic diseases, and may also be linked to chances of surviving after disease diagnosis. Lifestyle factor indices such as cardiovascular health (CVH) and healthy lifestyle index (HLI) have positive preventive implications in assessing the risk of chronic diseases, due to the fact that people’s lifestyles can be adjusted on their own. Previous studies also showed a strong association between CVH and HLI and the mortality of patients. However, studies with large samples have not been widely reported. Furthermore, it is important to understand how these lifestyle indices behave in different populations and to compare which index better predicts incidence or mortality from chronic diseases.
Aims:
This study aims to investigate the association of CVH and HLI with the incidence of and mortality from major chronic diseases. Major chronic diseases included cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, dementia, and cancer. We will also focus on analyzing how CVH and HLI relate to different cardiovascular disease and cancer phenotypes, which will be of great value in gaining a deeper understanding and preventing these diseases. This research direction is in line with the trend towards precision medicine.
Project duration:
Over a three-year project, we will use data on participant characteristics, lifestyle (cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption, body mass index, diet, physical activity, lipid levels, fasting plasma glucose and blood pressure, waist circumference, alternative healthy eating Index and hours of night sleep) from the UK Biobank Study. Moreover, we will select reasonable participants and obtain CVH and HLI scores, and examine the relationship between CVH and HLI and the incidence and mortality of four major chronic diseases.
Public Health Impact:
The findings from this study could help to guide lifestyle recommendations and public health policies for the general population, and for those suffering from diseases, to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and improve length, and quality, of life. By exploring the utility and quality of scoring systems and indices used to measure lifestyle ‘healthfulness’, this research could provide more accurate tools to be used in future studies worldwide.