Cardiometabolic health is a gauge of the fitness of the body’s cardiovascular and metabolic systems.
The fitness of the body’s cardiovascular and metabolic systems is a measure of one’s cardiometabolic health. A healthy cardiovascular system means a person has a strong heart and a healthy blood flow, while their metabolic systemTrusted Source oversees how effectively the body uses food for energy and manages blood sugar levels.
When people do not have good cardiometabolic health, this can raise their risk for cardiometabolic diseasesTrusted Source such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
“Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases — mainly heart attack and stroke — are the leading cause of death in the U.S.,” Kevin C. Maki, PhD, adjunct professor in the School of Public Health-Bloomington at Indiana University and chief scientist at Midwest Biomedical Research told Medical News Today. “Type 2 diabetes is very common — about 10% of the adult population — and is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, as well as other issues such as kidney failure.”
“It is well accepted that lifestyle — diet, physical activity, smoking, sleepTrusted Source, etc. — is important for the development of these cardiometabolic disorders,” Maki continued. “Lifestyle modification is the cornerstone of efforts to minimize cardiometabolic risks. We have a large body of evidence to demonstrate that lifestyle interventions can improve risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.”
Maki is the lead author of two new studies recently presented at the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting, NUTRITION 2025, which has found that consuming a diet higher in the omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid may help support cardiometabolic health, and lower a person’s risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
What is linoleic acid?
For these studies, researchers analyzed medical data from 1,894 adult participants of an observational study focused on COVID-19. Study participants had an average age of 50, an average body mass index (BMI) of 29, and more than half identified as female and non-Hispanic White.
Scientists focused on the amount of linoleic acid found in the serum in the blood of all participants.
Are seed oils bad?
“Linoleic acid is found mainly in vegetable oils that are used in cooking and are ingredients in many food products. Recently, there has been a great deal of controversy surrounding ‘seed oils’ such as corn oil and soybean oil. Some have claimed that these seed oils, which are rich in linoleic acid, cause inflammation.”
— Kevin C. Maki, PhD
“The level of linoleic acid in the blood is influenced by how much is consumed in the diet — higher intake leading to a higher level in the blood,” Maki continued. “We were interested in looking at the level of linoleic acid in the blood to see if it would be associated with cardiometabolic risk factors, specifically biomarkersTrusted Source of inflammation and blood glucose (sugar) regulation.”
