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Manage Risks Early to Delay Heart Disease
Cholesterol has often been simplistically equated with heart disease, but a more nuanced understanding is essential. It is crucial to differentiate between the disease itself (coronary artery disease/atherosclerosis), risk factors, and the eventual heart attack events that occur due to plaque rupture. The ultimate objective should be to reduce these events, which necessitates minimizing plaque burden, as a higher plaque presence increases event risk. Moreover, while cardiovascular disease is a common cause of death among healthy centenarians, they experience these conditions significantly later in life—approximately 20 to 25 years later than the average population. This delayed onset is largely influenced by genetics. To mirror this delay, individuals must intensively manage risk factors early and consistently over time, thereby potentially shifting the onset timeline of coronary atherosclerosis and reducing the risk of heart attack.