Experts emphasize that heart disease does not develop overnight but evolves over years, starting from the early 30s and 40s. Dr. Sadiya Khan from Northwestern University states that even if a disease is not yet diagnosed at those ages, the risk begins to form.
Researchers followed more than 5,000 adults for 34 years and reached the following conclusions:
5% of men develop cardiovascular disease around age 50, while women reach the same rate at age 57.
The difference becomes even more pronounced in this type of disease. Men reach the risk threshold at age 48, while for women, this age extends to 58.
By age 50, the risk of developing heart disease in the next 10 years is 6% for men, while for women, this rate remains at 3%.
The study shows that this difference cannot be explained solely by traditional risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, or smoking.
In addition to biological differences, social factors such as women being under more stress or working in different professions are also thought to play a role in this picture.
Although the research focuses on the early risk in men, experts remind women not to be complacent. The protective effect of estrogen hormone decreasing with menopause can rapidly accelerate the risk in women. Given that the average age of menopause in the US is 52, it is noted that women rapidly close the risk gap with men after this period.
Health guidelines now recommend that risk assessment begin at age 30 instead of 40.
Especially the much lower rate of young men going for routine health check-ups in their 30s and 40s compared to women makes it difficult to detect risk.
Key steps recommended to protect heart health are:
Having blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar measurements taken at least once a year.
Eating healthy and engaging in regular physical activity.
