Researchers warn of silent disease that can go undetected for decades

A recent study has uncovered that atherosclerosis, a condition linked to heart attacks, may begin early in life and remain asymptomatic for several decades. Researchers from Denmark and Spain analyzed data from 16,808 adults aged 18 to 70, with 13,186 undergoing comprehensive imaging. The findings revealed that over 57% of participants exhibited signs of atherosclerosis, even among those in their early thirties.

The prevalence of the disease increased with age, with men experiencing earlier onset and a more rapid progression among women during middle age. By the age of 70, only a small percentage of individuals showed no arterial plaques. The study highlighted a discrepancy between the actual presence of the disease and traditional risk estimates, as only a small fraction of those with silent atherosclerosis were classified as high risk by the SCORE2 tool.

Researchers emphasized that the study's findings do not necessitate routine imaging for everyone, as the current phase primarily aimed to assess the disease's prevalence and progression. They plan to conduct a large clinical trial in the future to evaluate the efficacy of early detection and intervention compared to existing preventive measures.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, sheds light on the silent nature of atherosclerosis and its potential implications for public health.