A 2022 study of 3.5 million Americans by the CDC and published in JAMA Cardiology uncovered mixed news. On the positive side, the rate of heart disease is on the decline for older adults age 65 and above, although it is a modest decline.
The rest of the news was not so encouraging. For those aged 45 to 64, heart disease rates are mostly static but they are rising for those age 18 to 44. That is to say, while heart disease is declining modestly among the oldest adults rates are rising for the youngest. Even though fewer heart attacks are occurring in the US overall they are steadily rising in very young adults. The new data not only validates this trend but also reveals that more heart attacks are striking those under age 40.
"It used to be incredibly rare to see anyone under age 40 come in with a heart attack -- and some of these people are now in their 20s and early 30s," said Ron Blankstein, MD, a preventive cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the study's senior author. "Based on what we are seeing, it seems that we are moving in the wrong direction."
"It all comes back to prevention," Blankstein said. "Many people think that a heart attack is destined to happen, but the vast majority could be prevented with earlier detection of the disease and aggressive lifestyle changes and management of other risk factors. My best advice is to avoid tobacco, get regular exercise, eat a heart healthy diet, lose weight if you need to, manage your blood pressure and cholesterol, avoid diabetes if you can, and stay away from cocaine and marijuana because they're not necessarily good for your heart."
At what point do we as a society conclude that if a person is unwilling to assume responsibility for her or her own health then they are responsible for the consequences? Freedom to choose to do what you want carries a responsibility to bear the consequences of your own choices.
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