Study raises alarm about heart attack deaths among young people

A recent study published by the American Heart Association revealed a worrying rise in heart attack deaths among adults aged 18 to 54 over the past decade, despite the overall decline in cardiac death rates.

The study, published Thursday, showed that the number of adults aged 18 to 54 who died from a heart attack rose by 57 percent between 2011 and 2022.

The study analyzed the medical records of more than one million adults under the age of 55 who were hospitalized for their first heart attack, and found that the death rate increased among patients who suffered an acute heart attack.

Amoohan Satish, a clinical cardiology fellow at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and lead author of the study, said the increase in mortality among those aged 18 to 54 was particularly concerning, given that death rates from heart attacks had generally been declining.

He added that at least three-quarters of heart attacks among young and middle-aged adults are first attacks.

The study found that risk factors contributing to this increase include diabetes , chronic kidney disease, and drug abuse. Low income may also play a role, especially if a person cannot afford treatment, according to Satish.

The results showed that a higher percentage of women had diabetes, obesity, and chronic kidney disease, and belonged to low-income groups, compared to men.