Unseen Battle: Why Men Face Heart Disease Risk Earlier Than Women

Research reveals men begin developing coronary heart disease years earlier than women, with differences appearing by mid-30s. Though risk factors are becoming similar between sexes, a persistent gap highlights the need for young men’s preventive care to improve heart health and reduce disease risk.

New research indicates men start developing coronary heart disease years earlier than their female counterparts, with sex-based differences emerging as early as the mid-30s. The findings underscore the importance of preventive care for young men to enhance heart health and mitigate disease risk.

Despite a convergence in risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes between the sexes in recent decades, the disparity in coronary heart disease onset persists, according to senior author Alexa Freedman of Northwestern University. A broader range of biological and social factors were considered in the study to understand this enduring gap.

The study, part of the long-term 'Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults' (CARDIA) project, tracking over 5,100 individuals since the mid-1980s, found that men reached a 5% risk of cardiovascular disease seven years earlier than women. This divergence necessitates a reconsideration of current screening practices, which often overlook the young male demographic, Freedman emphasized.

(With inputs from agencies.)