Archive · 2 Oct 2026
Study Finds Silent Artery Plaque In Some Young Adults
Some young adults already have small changes in their artery walls without feeling sick.
These changes are called plaque.
Plaque can build up slowly when cholesterol and other factors irritate the arteries.
Having plaque does not mean a person will definitely have a heart attack.
It means there may be a chance to improve health before serious disease develops.
Risk factors include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, abnormal blood sugar, smoking, excess body fat and family history.
The study does not recommend scanning every healthy teenager.
Instead, doctors say young people should develop healthy habits and get checked when they have important risk factors.
A study of 16,808 adults in Denmark and Spain found detectable artery plaque in 57.1% overall.
Among participants aged 18 to 29, plaque was found in 8.7% of men and 6.7% of women.
Plaque can develop silently over many years and may later rupture, causing a heart attack or ischemic stroke.
The findings do not mean that every young person with plaque will develop heart disease.
Experts say prevention should focus on cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, family history, exercise, diet and avoiding tobacco rather than routine imaging of healthy teenagers.
- Who
- Researchers studied 16,808 adults aged 18 to 70 with no known cardiovascular disease.
- What
- They used detailed imaging to detect silent atherosclerotic plaque in several arterial regions.
- When
- The study was published in The New England Journal of Medicine in late August.
- Where
- Participants were from Denmark and Spain; the findings also prompted discussion about cardiovascular prevention in India.
- Why
- The research highlights that cardiovascular disease can begin silently and that risk factors may be addressed before symptoms appear.
- Study participants
- 16,808 adults aged 18 to 70
- Participant profile
- No known cardiovascular disease
- Overall plaque detection
- 57.1% of participants had detectable plaque
- Men aged 18 to 29
- 8.7% had detectable plaque
- Women aged 18 to 29
- 6.7% had detectable plaque
- Main risk factors
- High cholesterol, high blood pressure, abnormal blood sugar, smoking, excess body fat and family history
- Imaging recommendation
- The findings do not justify routine artery imaging for healthy teenagers