Healthcare (Commonwealth Union) – Heart disease remains the leading cause of death across the globe. In recent years heart attacks have become more common from much younger ages than previously known.
A new UK study from the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) and Imperial College London, suggests the long term stress we all experience in everyday life may cause lasting changes to the structure of the heart with implications for wider health and even life expectancy.
The study analysed data from almost 500,000 adults in the UK and is thought to be one of the largest of its kind.
They found that chronic inflammation, which is linked to socioeconomic circumstances and lifestyle factors, was linked to damaging changes in the structure of the heart and an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
According to the researchers, these changes can develop silently years before cardiovascular symptoms become apparent, potentially creating an underlying and previously undetected threat to heart health.
Professor Declan O’Regan, Head of the Computational Cardiac Imaging Group at the LMS, indicated that their study—the largest of its kind—indicates that millions of people may have undetected inflammation that gradually alters the structure of the heart and causes lasting damage, potentially raising their risk of heart attacks and strokes. He explained that chronic inflammation is complex and influenced by multiple factors, including health, lifestyle and socioeconomic conditions. As a result, individuals may face a greater risk based on factors such as their living environment, financial circumstances, family health history and everyday habits.
“But while tackling health inequalities remains an issue, there are things that we can do about inflammation, including reducing risk factors like smoking and obesity.”
For the latest research, scientists examined UK Biobank data covering almost 480,000 adults in the UK. The researchers assessed inflammation using a blood biomarker called glycoprotein acetyls (GlycA), together with heart imaging and genetic information.
The study found that participants with the highest inflammation levels—the top 20%—had a 43% greater risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke compared with those in the lowest 20%. Higher inflammation was also associated with structural changes in the heart, such as thicker heart walls, smaller chambers and reduced ability of the heart to fill properly. These alterations can develop gradually without obvious symptoms and may persist for years before potentially contributing to heart failure.
Higher levels of inflammation were strongly associated with socioeconomic disadvantage and psychological distress and with established cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as smoking and excess body weight.
Those with consistently high inflammation were 43% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke, even if they had no known history of heart disease.
The results indicate that chronic inflammation could represent one biological mechanism through which daily pressures, including financial hardship and mental health challenges, affect the body and potentially raise the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Declan indicated that what stood out was the strength of the relationship between social circumstances and mental health, inflammation and changes in the heart, alongside better-known factors such as smoking and physical inactivity. He further emphasized that genetics also appeared to play an important role, suggesting that some people may be naturally more resistant to, or more vulnerable to, inflammatory damage associated with different lifestyles.
Despite this, the scientists stressed that having a genetic predisposition or experiencing difficult life circumstances does not mean a person will inevitably end up with heart disease. There are also several ways to reduce or prevent persistent inflammation over the long term.
The study highlighted inflammatory proteins belonging to the interleukin-1 and TNF families as potential contributors to the cardiovascular damage observed. A number of these proteins are already being targeted in clinical drug trials, suggesting that anti-inflammatory therapies could eventually play a role in preventing cardiovascular disease before symptoms develop.
