HHS HealthBeat (January 20, 2009)

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From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Having a lower risk of heart disease and stroke over 10 years doesn’t mean people ages 50 and under are going to stay that way.

Jarett Berry of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas found that in data on nearly 4,000 people.

Half of adults with low short-term risk had high lifetime risk. And those with low short-term but high lifetime risk had evidence of more advanced heart disease, measured by calcification of the coronary arteries.  

So Berry warns:

[Jarett Berry speaks] ``The clock is ticking on these younger adults. In spite of the fact that their short-term risk is low, their lifetime risk is substantial.’’

He says they can reduce it with healthy living, such as not smoking.

The study in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: January, 27 2009