At least with one risk factor has been faced with 99% of people who presented heart attackstroke or heart failure according to study published in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
One or more risk factors, high blood pressure, cholesterol or glucose, as well as smoking, almost always precede a heart attack.
Researchers from the US Health System “Northwestern Medicine” and Yasonsei University in South Korea, analyzed the medical records of more than nine million adults in South Korea and nearly 7,000 adults in the US, who were followed for up to two decades. Participants had undergone repeated health tests, so the research team was able to determine blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and exposure to smoking years before their first cardiovascular episode.
The results showed that more than 99% of people who developed coronary heart disease, heart failure or stroke had at least one non -optimal risk factor before the incident. Over 93% had two or more risk factors. Hypertension was the most common risk factor affecting over 95% of patients in South Korea and over 93% in the US. Even in women under 60, who are considered to be at the lowest risk, more than 95% had at least one risk factor before heart failure or stroke.
These findings contradict the widespread belief that heart disease often affect people without warning, and the authors stress that more attention should be paid to early detection and control of these modifiable risks.