Lifestyle Desk: It is normal that older people have more heart attacks. People over 50 are especially at risk. But the situation has changed. Heart attacks are happening more frequently in people under the age of 40.

heart attack

The incidence of heart attacks among young adults has increased by 2 percent per year over the past 10 years. There must be a reason behind this. A special genetic disorder is caused by 'hypercholesterolemia (FH)', according to a new study. This disease is usually due to high cholesterol.

About 10 percent of people who have a heart attack before age 50 have FH. And a year after the first heart attack, their cholesterol levels continued to rise.

A group of experts from Brigham and Women's Hospital in America has given these information. Through this research, young people can stay away from the risk of heart attack. Previous studies have shown that FH remains under-diagnosed and under-treated.

The research team found that 50 percent of patients with FH received cholesterol-lowering therapy before the heart attack. Even after suffering many heart attacks, they are not aware of it.

Experts collected data from Brigham and Massachusetts General Hospital. All of the patients whose data were collected had suffered a heart attack between 2000 and 2016 before turning 50. And 1 in 10 young people have FH.

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FH patients have an average of 180 mg/dL of harmful LDL cholesterol. About half of FH patients are advised high-density statin therapy after their first heart attack. Through this therapy, harmful fat levels are brought under control. Most people have high levels of cholesterol in their bodies a year after a heart attack.