Silent but Deadly: Heart Disease Strikes Without Warning Signs
A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine has found that nearly half of the participants were found to have signs of coronary heart disease or atherosclerosis despite having no prior symptoms. Researchers from Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark studied over 9,000 people age 40 or older who had no symptoms and no history of heart disease. Those who showed obstructive and extensive disease were at the highest risk for future heart attacks, the findings stated. The primary risk factors for heart disease include smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, unhealthy diet, a sedentary lifestyle and secondhand smoke exposure.