Following a routine of regular physical activity combined with a diet including fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods may be key to middle-aged adults achieving optimal cardiometabolic health later in life or reduced risk for metabolic syndrome, according to new research using data from the Framingham Heart Study published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Cardiometabolic health risk factors include metabolic syndrome, a cluster of disorders such as excess fat around the waist, insulin resistance, and high blood pressure. The presence of metabolic syndrome may increase the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes. In an analysis of data from participants of the Framingham Heart Study, which began more than 70 years ago in Framingham, Massachusetts, investigators examined data from 2,379 adults ages 18 and older and their adherence to the two guidelines.

According to the prospective study, adherence to the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans was associated with reduced risk for metabolic syndrome compared with nonadherence (HR for physical activity = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.5-0.88; P = .004; HR for diet = 0.68; 95% CI, 0.51-0.9; P = .008); however, the greatest benefits were experienced by those who adhered to both guidelines compared with individuals who adhered to neither (HR = 0.48; 95% CI, 0.32-0.7; P < .001).

“Health care professionals could use these findings to further promote and emphasize to their patients the benefits of a healthy diet and a regular exercise schedule to avoid the development of numerous chronic health conditions in the present and in later life,” said corresponding author Vanessa Xanthakis, Ph.D., FAHA, assistant professor of medicine and biostatistics in the Section of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology at Boston University School of Medicine in Boston.

“Health care professionals could use these findings to further promote and emphasize to their patients the benefits of a healthy diet and a regular exercise schedule to avoid the development of numerous chronic health conditions in the present and in later life,” Vanessa Xanthakis, PhD, FAHA, assistant professor of medicine and biostatistics