New strategies needed to reduce mortality associated with cardiometabolic risk factors in young people

Among US adolescents and young adults, hig h HbA_1c levels, central obesity, and smoking were associated with an increased risk of dying before 55 years of age, according a study published recently in Pediatrics.

“We looked at risk factors for dying before the age of 55 years among adolescents and young adults in the United States,” lead author Sharon Saydah, PhD, CDR USPHS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Diabetes Translation, told Formulary.

“We found that after adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity; smoking status, measure of obesity, and glucose levels were associated with increased risk of early deaths. We found no association with cholesterol measures and early deaths,” Saydah said.

The researchers used data from CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1988-1994, of participants aged 12 to 39 years with follow-up data on mortality status through 2006.

“We looked at the association of a number of risk factors included three measures of adiposity, glycated hemoglobin [HbA_1c level, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, self-reported smoking status and cotinine level with death prior to age 55,” she said.

While previous studies have found risk factors such as obesity, cholesterol, glucose, smoking to increase the risk of disease among the younger adult population, few had looked at the association with early mortality, according to Saydah.

“These associations indicate a need for more effective community and clinical strategies for reducing the prevalence of these risk factors among US residents in these age groups,” she said. “The CDC has a number of resources and programs to address reducing these risk factors in the population including smoking cessation, type 2 diabetes prevention, and obesity reduction.”  â–