New research shows that men experience a sharp rise in heart disease risk starting in their mid-30s, earlier than women. The findings come from a long-term study that tracked cardiovascular health from young adulthood into later life.

Researchers followed more than 5,000 adults over several decades. Until about age 35, men and women showed similar levels of cardiovascular risk. However, after that point, men’s risk increased faster and stayed higher through midlife.

Importantly, this rise occurred well before the age when routine heart screening often begins. Therefore, the findings raise concerns that current prevention strategies may start too late for many men.

📊 Coronary Disease Drives the Risk Gap

The study found that coronary heart disease explained most of the difference between men and women. Stroke risk, however, remained similar for both sexes throughout the study period.

Men reached a 5% cardiovascular disease risk level around seven years earlier than women. Because of this early divergence, researchers suggest that heart disease processes may begin long before symptoms appear.

Traditional risk factors played only a partial role. These included smoking, high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and diabetes. Even after accounting for those factors, a significant gap between men and women remained.

As a result, researchers believe other biological and behavioral influences may contribute to early heart disease development in men.

🧠 Why Screening May Need to Start Earlier

Current guidelines often recommend heart disease screening starting at age 40 or later. However, this study suggests that earlier screening could identify risk sooner, especially for men.

Researchers also highlighted differences in healthcare use. Young men tend to visit doctors less often than young women. In contrast, women often receive routine care through reproductive health services.

Because men have fewer regular health visits, early warning signs may go unnoticed. Therefore, encouraging earlier checkups could improve prevention and treatment outcomes.

🩺 Implications for Prevention Strategies

Heart disease remains a leading cause of death worldwide. Understanding when risk accelerates is critical for effective prevention.

The findings suggest that lifestyle changes, monitoring, and early medical advice could help reduce long-term risk if started sooner. Moreover, targeted public health messaging may help reach men before midlife.

Researchers emphasized that earlier awareness could lead to better outcomes. Consequently, the study supports reconsidering when heart health assessments should begin.