Men’s heart attack risk climbs by mid-30s, years before women; here's why

CHICAGO - New research reveals that men begin developing coronary heart disease – which can lead to heart attacks – years earlier than women, with differences emerging as early as the mid-30s.

The study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association (AHA), was conducted by researchers at Northwestern Medicine.

Heart attack risk climbs quicker for men than women, study shows

By the numbers:

The study analyzed data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, which enrolled more than 5,100 Black and white adults ages 18 to 30 in the mid-1980s and followed them through 2020.

Because participants were healthy young adults at enrollment, the scientists said they were able to pinpoint when cardiovascular disease risk first began to diverge between men and women.

Men reached 5% incidence of cardiovascular disease (defined broadly to include heart attack, stroke and heart failure) about seven years earlier than women (50.5 versus 57.5 years).

The difference was driven largely by coronary heart disease. Men reached a 2% incidence of coronary heart disease more than a decade earlier than women, while rates of stroke were similar and differences in heart failure emerged later in life. 

Study suggest screenings should start earlier in adulthood

Dig deeper:

According to the researchers, one of the most striking findings was when the risk gap opened. The scientists found that men and women had similar cardiovascular risk through their early 30s. 

Around age 35, however, men’s risk began to rise faster and stayed higher through midlife. 

The scientists examined whether differences in blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, smoking, diet, physical activity and body weight could explain the earlier onset of heart disease in men. While some factors, particularly hypertension, explained part of the gap, overall cardiovascular health did not fully account for the difference, suggesting other biological or social factors may be involved.

Why you should care:

Heart disease screening and prevention efforts often focus on adults over 40, but the findings suggest that heart disease prevention and screening should start earlier in adulthood, particularly for men.

"That timing may seem early, but heart disease develops over decades, with early markers detectable in young adulthood," said study senior author Alexa Freedman. "Screening at an earlier age can help identify risk factors sooner, enabling preventive strategies that reduce long-term risk."

Other studies reveal men experiencing heart disease earlier than women

The backstory:

Older studies have consistently shown that men tend to experience heart disease earlier than women. But over the past several decades, risk factors like smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes have become more similar between the sexes.

Earlier this month, the AHA reported improvements in life expectancy and fewer heart attacks and strokes compared to 2023.

But the report highlighted cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, a framework that examines interconnected risks tied to heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and obesity.

RELATED: Nearly 90% of US adults show signs of heart-related syndrome, study finds

The AHA estimated that nearly 90% of U.S. adults have at least one component of CKM syndrome.

While fewer Americans are dying from cardiovascular events, experts warn the prevalence of these risk factors could drive future disease if left unaddressed.

Stroke deaths increased among certain age groups, including an 8.3% rise among adults ages 25 to 34 and an 18.2% increase among people over age 85, according to the AHA.

The data also showed increases in high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity among children and adolescents ages 2 to 19.

Big picture view:

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for both men and women, and prevention is critical for everyone. 

According to Cleveland Clinic, almost half of all adults in the U.S. have at least one form of heart disease.