1 in 13 adults under 30 already had hidden artery plaque
A large international study has found that over 57% of asymptomatic adults have hidden arterial plaque, with 1 in 13 adults under 30 already showing signs of atherosclerosis. The findings highlight the potential for early detection to transform cardiovascular disease prevention.
Why it matters
Early identification of silent atherosclerosis could lead to more effective, precision-based preventative treatments for heart disease.
Atherosclerosis, the gradual buildup of plaque inside arteries that drives most cardiovascular disease, can begin many years before a person notices any symptoms. Now, a large international study suggests that this hidden disease is already present in some young adults who otherwise appear healthy, and that it is considerably more widespread than previously recognized.
The research was led by Professor Henning Bundgaard, Professor of Cardiology at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Dr. Borja Ib ez, Scientific Director of the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III, CNIC, cardiologist at Hospital Universitario Fundaci n Jim nez D az and a group leader at CIBERCV.
Among more than 16,000 participants with no symptoms or previous cardiovascular disease diagnosis, researchers detected atherosclerotic plaques in 57.1%. The findings were presented in a Hot Line session at ESC Congress 2026 and published at the same time in The New England Journal of Medicine .
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