Share on Pinterest Higher linoleic acid levels may help lower heart disease and diabetes risk, a new study finds. Javier Zayas Photography/Getty Images

Cardiometabolic health is a gauge of the fitness of the body’s cardiovascular and metabolic systems.

Poor cardiometabolic health may increase a person’s risk for cardiometabolic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes .

. Lifestyle factors such as diet can also impact a person’s cardiometabolic health.

Two new studies recently presented report that consuming a diet higher in linoleic acid, or omega-6 fatty acids, may help support cardiometabolic health, and lower the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

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 system oversees how effectively the body uses food for energy and manages blood sugar levels.

“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, sleep , 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.”