Exercise and Vegetables: Rethinking Heart Disease Prevention Beyond Privileged Societies

A prominent cardiovascular researcher from Simon Fraser University emphasizes the importance of contextualized health recommendations for preventing heart disease worldwide. While cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death globally, affecting about 80% of fatalities in low- and middle-income countries, current universal guidelines may overlook critical social and environmental factors influencing health.

Professor Scott Lear highlights that standard advice such as engaging in 75 minutes of exercise weekly or consuming five servings of fruits and vegetables daily may not be feasible or relevant everywhere. For example, a leisurely walk in Vancouver differs vastly from commuting on foot in polluted urban centers like New Delhi, where socioeconomic constraints and environment play significant roles in health outcomes.

His review, published in the European Heart Journal, examines data from the ongoing Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study, which includes over 212,000 participants across 28 countries. The study captures diverse lifestyles, work environments, and access to healthcare, revealing that physical activity levels, dietary habits, and other risk factors vary widely based on social context.

Interestingly, despite higher reported physical activity in high-income countries, over 22% of participants sit for more than eight hours daily. Conversely, in low-income regions, physical activity is primarily tied to work and daily chores, often with less leisure exercise but still significant movements. Regarding diet, fruits and vegetables are generally more available and affordable in urban areas regardless of income, but farmers in low-income nations struggle to consume their own produce—a reflection of economic disparities.

These findings stress that health strategies must consider local social, environmental, and economic realities. Effective heart disease prevention requires tailored approaches that acknowledge the diverse circumstances influencing risk factors worldwide.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-veggies-experts-privileged-heart-disease.html