High school dropouts are 40 percent more likely to have a heart attack in later life, new study suggests

Leaving school before the age of 18 can have disasterous repercussions for your heart health, a new study suggests.

Experts from Columbia University followed 26,000 people over 13 years to see how factors like education and income influenced their health. 

They found that education was a key protective factor against atherosclerotic disease, the primary trigger for heart disease and stroke - and leading cause of death worldwide.

Specifically, they found those who ditched high school had a 39 percent higher risk of developing heart disease over the course of more than a decade, compared to individuals with higher levels of education.

The latest data shows that an estimated 40 million Americans do not have a high school diploma.

People with a shorter amount of time in school had a 39 percent higher risk of a potentially severe heart condition

Atherosclerotic disease (ASCVD) affects roughly 20 million Americans and is the leading cause of death in the United States and globally

Another critical factor highlighted by the researchers was living in a neighborhood with a high proportion of residents with little high school education - who were 31 percent more likely than others to have heart trouble.

Experts say the link is likely due to a lack of adequate knowledge about heart health and risk factors among less educated people. 

Plus, those with little access to good schools are more likely to live in neighborhoods with fewer resources for physical activity and healthy diet.

For instance, other strong predictors of heart disease included a person’s income and where they live.

Marginalized groups, including Black and Hispanic Americans, were far more likely than their White counterparts to experience poorer performing schools and fewer economic resources.

Atherosclerotic disease (ASCVD) affects roughly 20 million Americans and is the leading cause of death in the United States and globally.

It describes the process by which fatty deposits build up in the arteries, damaging the vessels and restricting the flow of blood and oxygen around the body, including to and from the heart, lungs and brain.

Robert Downey Jr dropped out of school aged 16, though he has not yet been reported to suffer any heart troubles

Columbia University researchers included 26,316 participants in their study; 2.7 percent were Chinese American, 4.9 percent were Hispanic, 43.2 percent were non-Hispanic Black, and 49.3 percent were non-Hispanic White.

Eleven percent of participants had less than a high school education, 42.2 percent had low household income, and 2.2 percent were unemployed. Researchers also examined neighborhood education, poverty, and unemployment

In addition to there being a 39 percent increased risk among people with less than a high school education, they found a 35 percent increased risk of ASCVD for individuals with annual household income below $35,000 compared to those with higher incomes.

Why college cuts your risk of heart disease, according to a new study 

Scientists at Minnesota University have carried out the first concrete analysis of this trend which has been clear in the US healthcare system for decades. 

They also found a 28 percent higher risk of ASCVD for people living in neighborhoods with a high proportion of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Educational attainment has long been associated with an increased risk of heart disease, with more than 1 in 2 individuals with less than high school education having a lifetime CVD event.

An American Heart Association study found that individuals with just an elementary or middle school education had a 52 percent greater risk of death from any cause compared to those with a graduate degree.

This could be linked to poorer health education by either dropping out or attending a poorly funded school.

Dr. Arshed Quyyumi, a cardiology professor at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta who co-led the study, said: ‘We adjusted for everything that would be a risk determinant, and despite all that, just the educational level was an independent predictor of outcome.

‘What's striking is how important the role of education is. Most of us practitioners, we don't ask patients for their educational level when we're seeing them – and we don't take any added precautions when you find that somebody may not be as well educated as another person.’