No abstract

C ardiovascular disease, which includes heart disease and stroke, is the second leading cause of death in Canada and is associated with disability, low quality of life and high economic costs.1 Although much previous research has focused on the contribution of individual health behaviours and factors to the risk of cardiovascular disease, there has been little focus on comprehensively examining the cardiovascular health of the population.In 2010, the American Heart Association introduced a definition of ideal cardiovascular health based on 7 health factors and behaviours (smoking, body mass index [BMI], diet, physical activity, and blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol levels).2 Criteria were established to define ideal levels of each health factor or behaviour. The American Heart Association set a goal of improving the cardiovascular health of Americans by 20% by 2020. Studies have shown that meeting 6-7 metrics of ideal cardiovascular health is associated with an 89% lower incidence of cardiovascular disease, 3 76% reduction in stroke incidence, 4 70% reduction in ischemic heart disease mortality 5 and 51% lower incidence of cancer 6 compared with meeting 0 or 1 of the ideal metrics.