A new study has found that men begin developing coronary heart disease several years earlier than women, with sex-based differences in cardiovascular risk emerging as early as the mid-30s. The findings suggest that preventive care targeted at young men could play a critical role in improving heart health and reducing long-term disease risk.
Risk Gap Persists Despite Similar Risk Factors
Although traditional risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes have become more similar between men and women over recent decades, the gap in heart disease risk has not narrowed. According to senior author Alexa Freedman, Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, this persistent difference highlights the need to look beyond conventional risk markers.
A Broader Approach to Understanding Sex Differences
Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the study moved beyond standard measures like cholesterol and blood pressure. Instead, researchers examined a wider range of biological and social factors to better understand why sex-based differences in heart disease continue to persist.
Long-Term Follow-Up Through the CARDIA Study
As reported by NDTV, the researchers analysed data from more than 5,100 adults aged 18 to 30 who were enrolled in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. The cohort, recruited in the mid-1980s, was followed through 2020, allowing investigators to track cardiovascular risk patterns over several decades.
Men Reach Higher Risk Levels Much Earlier
The study found that men reached a five per cent risk of cardiovascular disease approximately seven years earlier than women. Coronary heart disease accounted for most of this difference. Moreover, men reached a two per cent incidence of coronary heart disease more than a decade before women.
In contrast, stroke rates remained similar between the sexes, while differences in heart failure appeared later in life.
Age Matters in Cardiovascular Risk
Importantly, the study population remained relatively young, with all participants under the age of 65 at the final follow-up. As Freedman noted, conditions such as stroke and heart failure typically develop later in life, which may explain the smaller differences observed in these outcomes.
Mid-30s Mark a Turning Point
One of the study’s most striking findings was the timing of when the risk gap began to widen. While men and women showed similar cardiovascular risk through their early 30s, men’s risk began to rise more sharply around the age of 35. From that point onward, the risk remained consistently higher through midlife.
Rethinking the Timing of Prevention
Given these findings, the researchers cautioned that current heart disease screening and prevention strategies—which often focus on adults aged 40 and above—may miss a crucial early window for intervention.
“Our findings suggest that encouraging preventive care visits among young men could be an important opportunity to improve heart health and lower cardiovascular disease risk,” Freedman said.
Implications for Early Preventive Care
Overall, the study underscores the importance of earlier cardiovascular screening and prevention, particularly for young men. By shifting the focus to earlier adulthood, healthcare systems may be able to reduce the long-term burden of heart disease and improve outcomes across the population.