2006 Heart-Brain summit proceedings
The heart and the brain within the broader context of wellness
ARTICLE INTRODUCTION
Approximately 40% of all premature deaths (before age 75) can be attributed to unhealthy behaviors, 30% to genetics, 15% to social factors, 10% to poor medical access, and 5% to environment.1 Unhealthy lifestyles claim about 1 million lives per year in the United States and cause nearly 30 million cases of chronic disease. Tobacco is responsible for approximately 440,000 premature deaths annually. Overweight, a sedentary lifestyle, alcohol abuse, accidents, firearms, and illegal drugs are other lifestyle factors that are associated with premature mortality.
Of the top 10 causes of death in the United States, all of the top six have lifestyle as a primary cause. These six causes account for 1.7 million of the 2.2 million people who died in 2002.
This article will review the impact of lifestyle on heart and brain health, as well as the impact of the heart and the brain in adopting changes in health behavior.
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