Clogged arteries – which can lead to heart attacks and strokes – can begin to develop in young adulthood. But a new study suggests it may be less likely to happen to those who better adhere to a set of lifestyle behaviors and factors such as maintaining a healthy weight and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol. The research, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, analyzed the association between young adults' adherence to metrics for measuring cardiovascular health and early indicators of plaque buildup in the carotid arteries – the arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain.
Blockages in these arteries can lead to strokes. "Many people think cardiovascular disease affects only older adults, but that's not accurate," said Dr. Fangqi Guo, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral research associate in the department of population and public health sciences at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles.
"Clinical symptoms of cardiovascular disease often manifest in middle to late adulthood, but this can start developing as early as childhood." Plaque buildup, known as atherosclerosis, can partially or totally block blood flow, leading to strokes, heart disease and kidney disease. The new study looked at early signs of its development in young adults by measuring the thickness of carotid artery walls; carotid artery stiffness; and fat deposits in carotid artery walls.
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