Study Examines Prevalence of ASCVD Risk in Young Adults

According to a recent study, the prevalence of elevated atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk in young adults with no known risk factors was low.

The cross-sectional study included 9608 participants between 30 to 49 years of age without a known history of ASCVD or diabetes from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and followed them for 10 years. Participants were divided by age, sex, history of smoking, and history of hypertension, and the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association ASCVD risk calculator was used to estimate 10-year ASCVD risk. In addition, participants were grouped according to high or low prevalence of ASCVD.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
RELATED CONTENT
Study: ACC/AHA Guidelines Best Option for ASCVD Prevention
Could A Mediterranean Diet Protect Against Atherosclerotic Plaques?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Approximately half (47.12%) of participants included in the study were categorized in the low-prevalence subgroup, and 2.9% of participants had an LDL-C level of 4.92 mmol/L or greater.

In adult men younger than 40 years of age without a history of smoking or hypertension, the researchers found an elevated risk for ASCVD of 0.09%. Adult women younger than 50 years of age without a history of smoking and hypertension had an elevated risk of 0.04%.

Participants in other subgroups had an increased risk that ranged from 0% to 75.9%.

“In the absence of risk factors, the prevalence of increased ASCVD risk is low among women younger than 50 and men younger than 40 years,” the researchers concluded.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Patel KK, Taksler GB, Hu B, and Rothberg Mb. Prevalence of elevated cardiovascular risks in young adults: a cross-sectional analysis of national health and nutrition examination surveys [published online May 16, 2017]. Ann Intern Med. doi:10.7326/M16-2052.