Background: Cardiovascular events are an important cause of mortality in patients cured of colorectal cancer and are also potential complications of new therapies for metastatic CRC. The American Heart Association’s “Simple 7” offers a practical public health conceptualization of cardiovascular health. They include healthy behaviours: non-smoking, active physical activity (MVPA > 150 min/w), healthy diet and low body mass index (BMI); and health factors: no hypertension, no diabetes, no hypercholesterolemia. Whereas factors are non-modifiable, behaviours can be changed. Studies have shown that prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health in the US is only 0.1%.
Methods: Patients with a recent diagnosis of CRC who accepted to participate were prospectively evaluated. BMI, blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol were measured at the hospital. Physical activity was objectively evaluated with accelerometers. Adherence to a healthy diet was evaluated through the PREDIMED (adherence to Mediterranean diet) questionnaire. Information about smoking and past cardiovascular disease or risk factors was obtained from the clinical record.
Results: 91 patients were recruited between March 15 and March 17...