KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.
According to the American College of Cardiology, a growing number of heart attacks occur in people under 40. The number has been rising 2 percent per year for the past 10 years.
The bad news does not end there: Despite being 10 years younger on average than those having heart attacks in their 40s, these young patients have the same rate of adverse actions, including dying from another heart attack or stroke.
Researchers point to the obesity epidemic and subsequent risk factors, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking and family history.