In 16,808 adults without known heart disease, silent artery plaque was already present in about 1 in 13 people ages 18 to 29

What the research found

Study (cross-sectional imaging). The REACT study, presented in a Hot Line session at ESC Congress 2026 on 29 August and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was carried by ScienceDaily on 1 October 2026. Researchers in Denmark and Spain imaged 16,808 adults ages 18 to 70 (mean age 45) with no known atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, balanced by sex within each age decade. Three-dimensional ultrasound covered carotid and femoral arteries; coronary arteries were imaged by CT. Plaque was present in 57.1%. About 1 in 13 people ages 18 to 29 had plaque in at least one territory. About 9 in 10 people ages 60 to 70 had plaque. Prevalence rose earlier in men, by about 5 to 10 years, while women showed a steeper rise in midlife around the usual age of menopause. Most people with coronary plaque also had plaque in the neck or leg arteries. This is a snapshot of who already has plaque, not a test of a prevention program. Educational notes.

Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.

Read the original at CNIC and Rigshospitalet / New England Journal of Medicine