Did anyone get heart disease without bad health habits?
Very High Prevalence of Nonoptimally Controlled Traditional Risk Factors at the Onset of Cardiovascular Disease.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Virtually no one developed heart disease without prior risk exposure.
Some past studies suggested a significant number of heart attacks happen in people with 'ideal' risk profiles, fueling debate. This study challenges that by showing 99.3–99.7% had at least one nonoptimal risk factor before diagnosis.
Practical Takeaways
Get your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar checked regularly—even if you feel fine.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Virtually no one developed heart disease without prior risk exposure.
Some past studies suggested a significant number of heart attacks happen in people with 'ideal' risk profiles, fueling debate. This study challenges that by showing 99.3–99.7% had at least one nonoptimal risk factor before diagnosis.
Practical Takeaways
Get your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar checked regularly—even if you feel fine.
Publication
Journal
Journal of the American College of Cardiology
Year
2025
Authors
Hokyou Lee, Xiaoning Huang, Sadiya S. Khan, Dasom Son, Hyeok-Hee Lee, Eun-Jin kim, Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, Hyeon Chang Kim, Philip Greenland
Related Content
Claims (10)
Most people who have their first heart problem already had several risk factors like high blood pressure or cholesterol for years before — not just one.
Even if your blood pressure or cholesterol isn't high enough to be diagnosed as a problem, having them a little elevated over time can still quietly damage your blood vessels.
Almost everyone who has a stroke had at least one common heart risk factor like high blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, or a history of smoking—so strokes hardly ever happen to people with perfectly healthy heart numbers.
Almost everyone has at least one heart disease risk factor before they get sick — like high blood pressure or cholesterol — no matter their age or gender. For women under 60, it's a bit less common, but still very high.
Your blood vessels get damaged slowly over many years if your heart health isn't in the best shape, and we can only really see how this happens by tracking people over time — not just checking them when they have a heart problem.