Healthy Lifestyle Index and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Among Postmenopausal Women With Normal Body Mass Index

Abstract

Background A lifestyle comprising a healthy diet, light alcohol consumption, no smoking, and moderate or intense physical activity has been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We examined the association of a healthy lifestyle index (HLI), derived from scores for each of these components plus waist circumference, with the risk of incident CVD and CVD subtypes in postmenopausal women with normal body mass index (18.5–63 years), body mass index (</≥ 22.0 kg/m2), and general health status (absence/presence of hypertension, diabetes, or lipid‐lowering drug use) also showed inverse associations between HLI and risk of CVD. Conclusions Among postmenopausal women with a normal body mass index, adherence to a healthy lifestyle is associated with a reduced risk of clinical CVD and CVD subtypes, underscoring the cardiovascular benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, even for women with a healthy weight.

Keywords

• body mass index
• cardiovascular disease
• healthy lifestyle index
• postmenopausal women
• prospective study