Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men in the US, and those who did die from coronary heart disease had no prior symptoms – making it the ‘silent killer.’
Matthew Landry, PhD, RDN, FAND, FAHA, assistant professor of population health and disease prevention, with UC Irvine Public Health, wants to better understand the risk factors that can lead to a heart attack, specifically in the subset of males who are new fathers.
With funding support from the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Career Development Award, Landry will conduct a year-long observational study to collect data and measure the heart health of 125 first-time fathers – ages 19-39 years of age – at four different points in the year. Fathers will be recruited from across the country and data collected remotely.
Becoming a father is an exciting moment in a young man’s life, with many changes happening with their relationships, behaviors, and mental and physical health. Some men might feel inspired to get healthier during this time, while others might find it difficult to stay healthy because of the demands in their new roles.
We hope to identify the factors that predict heart health in young men, second, better understand how the transition from man to father changes heart health, and finally, whether showing an orientation video to half of the men at the start of the study helps keep them engaged throughout.”
– Matt Landry, PhD, RDN, FAND, FAHA
“The goal of our study is three-tiered. We hope to identify the factors that predict heart health in young men, second, better understand how the transition from man to father changes heart health, and finally, whether showing an orientation video to half of the men at the start of the study helps keep them engaged throughout,” said Landry, who recently contributed to a clinical trial on the cardiovascular benefits of a vegan versus an omnivore diet in sets of identical twins.
Using the AHA’s Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) evaluation tool, the team will assess the participant’s behaviors (diet, sleep, physical activity, and tobacco use) and risk factors (weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol) that help predict the risk of cardiovascular disease. And how these behaviors and risks change when men step into the role of a father.
The team plans to use their findings to plan future studies as well as create health awareness campaigns and clinical applications to lower heart disease risk among young men.
