Doctors often start treating patients for high cholesterol after age 55. But new research from Duke University shows each previous decade of high cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease 39 percent.
Bio-statistician Michael Pencina is a lead author of the report.
“Higher level of cholesterol in the 30s and 40s, still leads to increased risk of cardiovascular disease at age 55.”
Pencina says even non-smokers and active young people are at risk of heart disease if they're predisposed to high cholesterol.
He says people should see their doctor and take stock in their 20s and 30s.
“You can slow down the depositing of cholesterol in your arteries, but you cannot reverse what has happened over time.”