Most People Who Experience Heart Attack, Stroke Or Heart Failure Have Prior Risk Factors

Sep 29 2025

More than 99% of group who went connected to suffer a bosom attack, changeable aliases bosom nonaccomplishment already had astatine slightest 1 consequence facet supra optimal level beforehand, reports a large-scale study led by Northwestern Medicine and Yonsei University successful South Korea.

The study, which analyzed wellness records complete much than a decade for much than 9 cardinal adults successful South Korea and astir 7,000 group successful nan U.S., refutes nan conception that these devastating events often onslaught group without informing signs.

Cardiovascular illness remains nan starring origin of decease successful nan U.S. and worldwide.

The findings will beryllium published connected Monday (Sept. 29) successful The Journal of nan American College of Cardiology.

We deliberation nan study shows very convincingly that vulnerability to 1 aliases much nonoptimal consequence factors earlier these cardiovascular outcomes is astir 100%.

The extremity now is to activity harder connected uncovering ways to power these modifiable consequence factors alternatively than to get disconnected way successful pursuing different factors that are not easy treatable and not causal."

Dr. Philip Greenland, senior author, professor of cardiology astatine Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

The consequence factors

Greenland and his colleagues selected 4 awesome cardiovascular consequence factors: humor pressure, cholesterol, humor sweetener and baccy use. They utilized nan American Heart Association's perfect cardiovascular wellness definitions, which picture nonoptimal levels as:

• Blood unit ≥120/80 mm Hg aliases connected treatment
• Total cholesterin ≥200 mg/dL aliases connected treatment
• Fasting glucose ≥100 mg/dL, test of glucosuria aliases connected treatment
• Past aliases existent baccy use

In a secondary analysis, nan squad besides looked astatine clinically elevated consequence factors, nan higher thresholds doctors often usage for diagnosis: humor unit ≥140/90, cholesterin ≥240, glucose ≥126 and existent smoking.

The scientists analyzed wellness information from much than 9.3 cardinal Korean adults and astir 7,000 U.S. adults followed for up to 2 decades. Because these cohorts included repeated wellness screenings, nan investigation squad could spot what levels of humor pressure, cholesterol, glucose and smoking vulnerability group had years earlier their first cardiovascular event.

The findings

Across some nan Korean and U.S. cohorts, nan results were definitive: More than 99% of group who developed coronary bosom disease, bosom nonaccomplishment aliases changeable had astatine slightest 1 nonoptimal consequence facet earlier their event. Over 93% had 2 aliases much consequence factors.

High humor pressure, aliases hypertension, was nan astir communal culprit, affecting complete 95% of patients successful South Korea and much than 93% successful nan U.S.

Even successful women nether 60 - nan group often assumed to beryllium astatine lowest consequence - much than 95% still had astatine slightest 1 nonoptimal facet earlier bosom nonaccomplishment aliases stroke.

When nan researchers raised nan barroom to clinically elevated levels, nan shape held. At slightest 90% of patients still had astatine slightest 1 awesome consequence facet earlier their first cardiac event.

This study, titled "Very High Prevalence of Nonoptimally Controlled Traditional Risk Factors astatine nan Onset of Cardiovascular Disease" was funded by nan National Research Foundation of Korea (grant 2022R1F1A1066181) from nan Korea Ministry of Science and ICT.