International study finds silent arterial plaque in young, healthy adults

The short version

• A major study published in The New England Journal of Medicine detected arterial plaque in 57.1% of over 16,000 healthy participants.[ScienceDaily]
• About 1 in 13 adults aged 18 to 29 had silent atherosclerosis despite having no prior cardiovascular disease.[Fox News · ScienceDaily]
• Men typically developed arterial plaque five to 10 years earlier than women, who saw the sharpest rise between ages 40 and 60.[Fox News]

Key facts

• Roughly 1 in 13 adults aged 18 to 29 had silent atherosclerosis despite having no known cardiovascular disease.[Fox News · ScienceDaily]
• Atherosclerotic plaques were detected in 57.1% of more than 16,000 participants with no prior cardiovascular disease diagnosis or symptoms.[ScienceDaily]
• Approximately 9 in 10 participants aged 60 to 70 showed signs of atherosclerosis.[ScienceDaily]
• The findings were presented at ESC Congress 2026 and published simultaneously in The New England Journal of Medicine.[ScienceDaily]
• Men tended to develop arterial plaque five to 10 years earlier than women, with women seeing their steepest increase between ages 40 and 60.[Fox News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• 1 in 13 adults under 30 already had hidden artery plaqueScienceDaily - Health
• Silent heart threat found in adults under 30 with no known cardiovascular diseaseFox News