Hidden Artery Plaque in Young Adults

A recent international study published in The New England Journal of Medicine reveals that silent atherosclerosis, characterized by a hidden buildup of fatty deposits in arteries, is remarkably common before age 30, affecting approximately one in 13 young adults. Led by Professor Henning Bundgaard and Dr. Borja Ibanez, the first phase of the REACT project evaluated 16,808 participants aged 18 to 70 across Denmark and Spain using advanced imaging across three major vascular regions. The researchers emphasize a paradigm shift in cardiovascular prevention, moving away from indirect risk estimations based on traditional factors like blood pressure and cholesterol toward direct disease identification via imaging technologies such as portable ultrasound. By detecting arterial plaque in its earliest asymptomatic stages, clinicians hope to intervene sooner, tailor personalized treatments, and substantially reduce the global burden of heart disease. The findings indicate that men experience an atherosclerotic progression approximately five to 10 years ahead of women, while women exhibit a steep increase in plaque accumulation between the ages of 40 and 60, corresponding with the menopausal transition. Furthermore, conventional risk calculators frequently fail to identify individuals who already possess hidden arterial plaque, exposing significant limitations in current preventive care models. Future efforts will focus on validating these results globally and conducting prospective clinical trials, such as the planned REACT-PROTECT study from 2027 to 2032, to determine whether imaging-guided interventions can successfully halt disease progression and prevent clinical events like heart attacks and strokes.