Medical experts are putting on more of a push to have younger people tested for potential heart trouble. Dr. Steve Smally of the Iowa Heart Center in Des Moines says clogged arteries didn’t used to be a concern until you got older. That’s changed now. Now, it’s recommended that you get checked at age 20 and every five years after that. Smally says the new guidelines from the American Heart Association are actually a year old, but are just now starting to get more attention. Smally says the recent death of St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Daryl Kile showed how even a young person in top health may have heart problems. He says the research on heart disease goes back decades. Autopsies on troops killed in Vietnam showed that young people start developing plaque in their arteries in their teens. Smally says the problem can be addressed if it’s identified early. He says you can modify your lifestyle with diet or medication to reduce your risk factors for future heart trouble. Smally says you should talk to your own physician about testing for potential problems.
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