Today's servicemen have atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, less frequently than fighters generations ago, but "the national battle against heart disease is not over," according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
A study, led by a doctor at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., examined the prevalence of atherosclerosis in veterans killed in Iraq between October 2001 and August 2011. According to autopsy reports of those who died in combat or from unintentional injuries, only 8.5 percent had the condition, caused by a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other deposits inside the walls of arteries.
An American soldier begins his journey home from Iraq in this Dec. 15, 2011 photo. U.S. servicemen suffer atherosclerosis, hardening of the arteries, less frequently than fighters of conflicts generations ago.
PHOTO BY KHALID MOHAMMED, AP
ADVERTISEMENT
Seventy-seven percent of men who died during the Korean War had hardened arteries. Among those killed in the Vietnam War, the prevalence was 45 percent.
An editorial accompanying the study notes that death rates from heart disease have declined 72 percent since their Vietnam War-era peak, but "cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. The national battle against heart disease is not over; increasing rates of obesity and diabetes signal a need to engage earlier and with greater intensity in a campaign of pre-emption and prevention."
The study draws a strong connection between advanced age and risk of atherosclerosis: Service members with the condition had an average age of 30.5, about 5 years older than those who didn't have it. Service members 40 and older were 7 times more likely to have it (45.9 percent) than those 24 and younger (6.6 percent).
Also, lower education levels were "significantly associated" with atherosclerosis prevalence.
Contact the writer: lhall@ocregister.com
Source: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/percent-381758-cork-marijuana.html
zipper armenian genocide asteroid mining memorial day ivan rodriguez planetary resources mothers day gift ideas
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.