The first significant differences in cardiovascular disease risk between men and women appear as early as around age 35. This conclusion was reached by scientists from Northwestern University in the United States. The study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (AHA).

The researchers followed the health of 5,112 people for an average of 34 years, tracking all cases of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. At the start of the project in the mid-1980s, participants were between 18 and 30 years old and had no history of cardiovascular disease.

The analysis showed that around age 35, men experience a noticeable “jump” in cardiovascular risk, while no such association was observed in women. The main contributor to this gap is coronary heart disease — a condition in which fatty plaques narrow or block the coronary arteries, increasing the likelihood of a heart attack.

Even after accounting for traditional risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels, smoking, physical activity, and body weight, the differences between the sexes remained. This suggests the presence of additional mechanisms influencing risk.

According to the researchers, men reach a five percent incidence of cardiovascular disease about seven years earlier than women — on average at 50.5 years versus 57.5 years. For coronary heart disease, the difference is even more pronounced: a two percent incidence rate is observed in men roughly ten years earlier.

At the same time, no significant differences in stroke risk between men and women were found, while the increase in heart failure risk among men began to appear at a later age. The researchers note that the sample remained relatively young, as participants had not yet reached 65 years of age at the time of the final follow-up.

The authors believe the findings point to the need for earlier cardiovascular risk screening in men. Heart disease develops over decades, and identifying risk factors at a young age may help reduce the likelihood of heart attacks and other complications in the future.