The study also found that people who have cardiovascular disease (including heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure) or who have risk factors (such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol) are about twice as likely to have access problems. to food. known as food insecurityas well as those without cardiovascular disease.
The researchers describe food insecurity as “bidirectional” and write that “food insecurity likely increases CVD risk and [having] CVDs affect socioeconomic factors that increase the risk of food insecurity.”
For example, they say, not only do people with food insecurity generally have a poorer-quality diet, they are also more prone to increased stress and poor adherence to prescription medications that might treat heart disease or its risk factors. In addition, they note that developing heart disease can make people more likely to also develop socioeconomic problems, such as poor access to transportation and health care.
The study findings come from an analysis of data from 57,517 adults (representing 312 million adults) who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a series of studies sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assess the health and nutritional status of US residents The survey has been ongoing since the 1960s.
This article is part of The Post’s “Big Number” series, which takes a brief look at the statistical side of health problems. Additional information and relevant research is available through the hyperlinks.
