Rhianna Benson
Heart, blood, and brain ailments have long been closely associated with poor lifestyle choices - factors including poor diet, smoking, a lack of exercise, and excessive alcohol intake.
Apparently, however, doctors are seeing a stark rise in cases of seemingly 'healthy' individuals suffer the likes of heart attacks and strokes.
So much so, that it's not estimated that close to half of these joint instances are recorded in individuals who opt not to smoke, have low blood pressure, have standard cholesterol levels and are diabetes-free.
In the medical realm, these are categorised as 'standard modifiable risk factors' (SMuRFs). Separately, within this group, it is otherwise 'healthy' woman that seem to be most liable to suffer these life-threatening ailments.
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With this in mind, a team of researchers from by Mass General Brigham recently set out to determine which 'healthy' individuals might be more at risk of developing these conditions, but often slip through the cracks of current screening algorithms.
The group used Women's Health Study supplied data of 12,530 women with no standard modifiable risk factors as a starting point.
They then used this information to record the level of an inflammatory biomarker known as 'hsCRP' over a 30 year period. Though none of these women suffered from SMuRFs, it was found that those who had high levels of hsCRP had 77 per cent more of a change of being diagnosed with coronary heart disease during their lives.
These women also had a 39 per cent increased risk of suffering a stroke in their lifetimes, as well as a 52 per cent increased risk of suffering from a form of major cardiovascular event.
Another study carried out by the team which used randomised data also found that women without SMuRFs but were 'inflamed' had the ability to reduce their risk of suffering either a heart attack or stroke by implementing statin therapy into their life.
Statins describe medicines aimed at lowering LDL, or 'bad' cholestrol. This is done by reducing its production from within the liver, and as such, it assists in the prevention of fatty deposits from building up inside arteries.
As such, they reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
According to experts, these women should begin referring to statins around middle age, or aged 40.
"While those with inflammation should aggressively initiate lifestyle and behavioral preventive efforts, statin therapy could also play an important role in helping reduce risk among these individuals," preventive cardiologist at Mass General Brigham's Heart and Vascular Institute, Paul Ridker, MD, MPH recently told The Mail.
"Women who suffer from heart attacks and strokes yet have no standard modifiable risk factors are not identified by the risk equations doctors use in daily practice."
He continued: "Yet our data clearly show that apparently healthy women who are inflamed are at substantial lifetime risk.
"We should be identifying these women in their 40s, at a time when they can initiate preventive care, not wait for the disease to establish itself in their 70s when it is often too late to make a real difference."