Heart disease risk rises faster for men than women by the mid-30s – CTV
February 02, 2026
Men develop a greater risk of cardiovascular disease years earlier than women — starting at around age 35, according to a new long-term study.
The report, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, followed more than 5,000 adults from young adulthood and found that men reached clinically significant levels of cardiovascular disease about seven years earlier than women.
Experts advise both men and women to monitor their heart health in early adulthood and to see their doctor regularly.
“Heart disease doesn’t happen overnight; it develops over years. One of the things I think oftentimes people aren’t aware of is that it can start really early in your 30s or 40s,” said study coauthor Dr. Sadiya Khan, professor of cardiovascular epidemiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
“Even if you don’t have heart disease at that time, your risk can start at that time.”
