March 2012: People who met more of 7 recommended cardiovascular health factors were less likely to die of all causes and especially of heart disease, according to a new study presented at a specialty meeting of the American Heart Association. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed data on 44,959 US adults from national health and nutrition surveys. Those who met at least 6 of the heart-health lifestyle factors were 51% less likely to die of all causes over an average 14.5 years of follow-up, and 76% less likely to die of cardiovascular causes. The 7 factors, targeted by the heart association as part of a public-education campaign, are: not smoking, being physically active; having normal blood pressure, blood glucose and total cholesterol levels and weight; and eating a healthy diet. Only 2% of those surveyed in 1988-1994 met all 7 factors, and only 1.2% in 2005-2010 surveys.