A new study shows that high school dropouts are 40 percent more likely to have a heart attack

A new study shows that leaving school before the age of 18 can have disastrous consequences for your heart health.

Experts at Columbia University followed 26,000 people for 13 years to see how factors like education and income affected their health.

They found that education was an important protective factor against atherosclerotic disease. the leading cause of heart disease and stroke – and the leading cause of death worldwide.

Specifically, they found that those who dropped out of high school had a 39 percent higher risk of developing heart disease over the course of more than a decade, compared to people with higher levels of education.

The latest data shows that an estimated 40 million Americans do not have a high school diploma.

Atherosclerotic disease (ASCVD) affects approximately 20 million Americans and is the leading cause of death in the United States and worldwide

Another critical factor highlighted by the researchers was living in a neighborhood with a high proportion of residents with little high school education – who were 31 percent more likely than others to develop heart problems.

Experts say the link is likely due to a lack of adequate knowledge about heart health and risk factors among less educated people.

In addition, people with little access to good schools are more likely to live in neighborhoods with fewer resources for physical activity and healthy eating.

Other strong predictors of heart disease included a person’s income and where he or she lives.

Marginalized groups, including black and Hispanic Americans, were much more likely than their white counterparts to experience lower-performing schools and fewer economic resources.

Atherosclerotic disease (ASCVD) affects approximately 20 million Americans and is the leading cause of death in the United States and worldwide.

It describes the process by which fatty deposits build up in the arteries, damaging the blood vessels and restricting the flow of blood and oxygen throughout the body, including to and from the heart, lungs and brain.

Robert Downey Jr. dropped out of school at the age of 16, although there are no reports yet of him having heart problems

Researchers from Columbia University included 26,316 participants in their study; 2.7 percent were Chinese American, 4.9 percent were Hispanic, 43.2 percent were non-Hispanic black, and 49.3 percent were non-Hispanic white.

Eleven percent of participants had less than a high school education, 42.2 percent had low family income, and 2.2 percent were unemployed. Researchers also examined neighborhood education, poverty and unemployment

In addition to finding a 39 percent increased risk in people with less than a high school education, they found a 35 percent increased risk of ASCVD for individuals with an annual household income of less than $35,000, compared to people with higher incomes.

They also found a 28 percent higher risk of ASCVD for people living in neighborhoods where a large share of residents live below the federal poverty line.

Education level has long been associated with an increased risk of heart disease, with more than 1 in 2 individuals with less than a high school education experiencing a CVD event at some point.

A study by the American Heart Association found that individuals with only an elementary or high school education had a 52 percent greater risk of dying from any cause, compared to those with a college degree.

This could be associated with poorer healthcare education due to dropping out of school or attending a poorly funded school.

Dr. Arshed Quyyumi, professor of cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta and co-leader of the study, said: ‘We adjusted for everything that would be a risk driver, and despite all that, only education level was an independent predictor. of the outcome.

‘What is striking is how important the role of education is. Most of us physicians don’t ask about their level of training when we see them – and we don’t take extra precautions when you notice that someone might not be as well trained as another.”