Unhealthy Teen Years May Predict Increased Risk of Death at Age 50s

Cardiometabolic risk involves factors of central obesity, smoking, and hyperglycemia.  A number of previous studies suggest that the presence of such factors raises a person’s risk of premature death.  Sharon Saydah, from the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Division of Diabetes Translation (Georgia, USA), and colleagues analyzed data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which was conducted from 1988 to 1994. The analysis included 9,245 participants ages 12 to 39 (mean age 26.1) years at the time of the survey. Through 2006, 298 patients (3.2%) died before reaching age 55; about three-quarters of the deaths were from endogenous causes. The top three causes of death were accidents, self-injury, and circulatory for those ages 12 to 25, cancer, circulatory, and accidental for those ages 26 to 32, and cancer, circulatory, and genetic for those ages 33 to 39.  After adjustment for age, sex, and race/ethnicity, the following factors were associated with an increased risk of dying prematurely from any cause:  Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level of at least 6.5% versus less than 5.7%; Waist-to-height ratio of at least 0.65 versus less than 0.5; Elevated cotinine levels; and Currently versus never smoking.   Those factors –  in addition to hypertension, elevated body mass index, and large waist circumference –  were also related to a greater risk of death from endogenous causes. The study authors conclude that: “Our finding that risk for death before age 55 among US adolescents and young adults was associated with central obesity, smoking, and hyperglycemia supports reducing the prevalence of these risk factors among younger US residents.”