Fewer than 5% of US military veterans may achieve optimal heart health
· Medical Xpressedited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Andrew Zinin
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Fewer than 5% of U.S. military veterans may achieve optimal cardiovascular health based on the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 metrics, highlighting an urgent opportunity to improve prevention and help veterans live longer, healthier lives, according to a new scientific statement published in Circulation.
The statement, "Cardiovascular Health Promotion for U.S. Veterans: Current State, Gaps, and Strategies," is devoted specifically to promoting cardiovascular health among military veterans. It applies the Life's Essential 8 framework, and additionally considers mental health and substance use, to evaluate cardiovascular health among U.S. veterans and to identify strategies that clinicians, researchers and policymakers can use to improve health outcomes for this population.
Life's Essential 8 includes healthy eating, physical activity, avoiding tobacco use, healthy sleep, healthy weight, and healthy levels of blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. According to the American Heart Association, around 20% of the general U.S. adult population may achieve optimal cardiovascular health.
"Veterans are not simply older adults who happen to have served in the military. They are a diverse population with unique health risks shaped by their military service, chronic conditions, mental health, service-related exposures and barriers to care," said Neal Yuan, M.D., chair of the scientific statement volunteer writing group, assistant professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at the University of California San Francisco.
"Recognizing how these factors interact and influence well-being is essential to providing effective prevention and treatment."
Cardiovascular health challenges for veterans
Military veterans represent more than 5% of the U.S. adult population and are increasingly diverse in race, ethnicity, age, gender and military experience. The statement identifies several factors that can affect their cardiovascular health, including:
- Multiple chronic health conditions, including obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep disorders, chronic lung disease and chronic kidney disease.
- Mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, each of which can independently double the risk of major cardiovascular disease.
- Substance use disorder involving tobacco, alcohol or illicit drug use, which is linked to shortening life span by six to 24 years.
- Lower-quality diets and physical activity levels below recommendations.
- Military-related injuries, environmental exposures and psychological stressors.
- Barriers to care, including rural residence and limited internet connectivity.
Opportunities to improve veterans' cardiovascular health
The statement outlines practical opportunities to improve lifestyle behaviors, cardiometabolic health, mental health, substance use and sleep disorders among veterans. Strategies include:
- Expand access to healthy foods and nutrition and weight-management programs.
- Tailor physical activity goals to veterans' abilities and available resources.
- Improve screening, prevention and treatment for obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
- Expand screening and support for mental health and substance use disorders, including tobacco use, while reducing stigma associated with seeking care.
- Increase access to sleep disorder screening and treatment.
- Use telehealth and home-based tools, such as at-home blood pressure monitoring, to reach veterans who face barriers to in-person care.
"Veterans and their families can use Life's Essential 8 to assess key measures of cardiovascular health and discuss personalized prevention goals with a health care professional," Yuan said.
Veterans Affairs programs offer promising models
Approximately 9 million veterans, nearly half of the U.S. military veteran population, are enrolled to receive care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the nation's largest integrated health care system.
"The VA provides no- or low-cost comprehensive medical care, as well as housing and social work resources," Yuan said. "The health system has invested in and developed innovative programs to improve cardiovascular health in the veteran population that have been successful in delivering high-quality care."
The statement notes that VA programs addressing coordinated primary care, nutrition, physical activity, weight management, mental health, sleep, substance use and telehealth may offer models for other health systems.
- Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACTs) integrate primary care clinicians with pharmacists, dietitians, behavioral health professionals and other specialists.
- MOVE! and Whole Health programs support healthy eating, physical activity and weight management.
- Telehealth programs support diabetes management, blood pressure control, sleep health and specialty care for veterans in rural areas.
"Improving cardiovascular health among veterans requires a comprehensive, whole-person approach that goes beyond traditional heart disease prevention," Yuan said. "Addressing lifestyle factors, metabolic health, mental health, sleep and the social factors that influence health together can help veterans live longer, healthier lives."
Publication details
Cardiovascular Health Promotion for US Veterans: Current State, Gaps, and Strategies: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association, Circulation (2026). DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001452
Journal information: Circulation
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CardiologyHealthy livingPreventive medicineCommon illnesses & PreventionPsychology & Mental healthFitness & Physical activityWeight managementNutrition & Healthy eatingHealthy agingSleep & Recovery Provided by American Heart Association Who's behind this story?
Sadie Harley
BSc Life Sciences & Ecology. Microbiology lab background with pharmaceutical news experience in oil, gas, and renewable industries. Full profile →
Andrew Zinin
Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile →
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