Can young adults be at risk of heart disease? Here’s what new calculator says

With the changing lifestyle, young adults have put themselves in line for the risk of heart diseases. The new risk calculator’s predictions raise concerns.

Keeping the heart healthy is an utmost necessity among teens and young adults. With the changing lifestyle, those aged 20 and above have put themselves in line for the risk of heart conditions, with the increase in factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, and stress levels.

Can heart diseases arise in young adults?(Pixabay)

According to the study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, a new online health risk calculator can predict if people will develop heart disease in the future.

The device is advanced compared to traditional scanning, including the Framingham risk calculator or the ASCVD Risk Estimator Plus.

How will new heart risk calculator help in diagnosis?

According to Sadiya Khan from Northwestern University, the new device will help young adults know the health risks in the future. She revealed in her study, “This tool was motivated by helping younger adults understand their long-term risk for heart disease.” She further stated, “We all procrastinate, but prioritizing health has to start today—and can with this tool.”

Furthermore, research claimed that heart problems such as clogged arteries can begin as early as childhood and can worsen as the years pass by. Hence, it is important to take care of the health by consuming a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Cardiologist Dr. Manesh Patel from the Duke University Medical Center claimed, “Younger people these days have more cardiovascular risk or conditions than they did in the past.”

The American Heart Association revealed in its data that deaths from heart attacks are declining, thanks to advancements in medical facilities. However, heart diseases are still killing people more than any other disease in the U.S.

How does the new calculator calculate risk?

During a study, 8,700 people from the U.S. were subjected to a survey, where the mean age for men was 44, and for women, it was 45. Then, the scientists calculated each person’s risk of having a heart attack, heart disease, or heart failure in the next 30 years. The experts also put in factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index, smoking status, diabetes history, and kidney function.

It was revealed that men are at a higher risk of more long-term heart diseases as compared to women. Explaining the further functioning of the new calculator, Dr. Deepak Bhatt claimed, “For example, to tell someone they have an 8.9% risk is difficult to interpret in isolation—but to say to a patient that their cardiac risk is higher than 90% of people their age and sex is easy to understand—clearly, that is someone at very high risk.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.