Heart surgeon warns that the onset of heart disease can start as early as age 3: ‘It's not something we get but have…’

Most of us think that as long as we're young, we don't have to worry about concerns like heart disease. However, Dr London warns it can start even at age 3.

When you’re young, it’s easy to feel invincible – like serious conditions such as heart disease are problems for decades down the line, something to worry about only after 50. But that sense of distance can be misleading. In reality, the foundation for heart health is being laid much earlier, shaped quietly by your everyday habits.

Heart disease risk builds over time depending on your daily habits. (Unsplash)

Dr Jeremy London, a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon with 25 years of experience, is calling out a common misconception about heart disease. In an Instagram video shared on April 17, he explains that heart disease isn’t something we suddenly “get” later in life – it’s a process that begins much earlier, one we already carry, with signs that can appear as early as age three.

Heart disease doesn’t start at 50

It’s easy to assume that youth offers protection – that conditions like heart disease are concerns for much later in life. However, as Dr London points out, the process doesn’t begin at 50; it can start far earlier than most people realise. In fact, autopsy studies have revealed fatty streaks in the arteries of children as young as three years old – marking the earliest stages of atherosclerosis.

He notes, “What if I told you that heart disease doesn't start at 50, but as early as age three? There are multiple autopsy studies that show that young children as young as three have fatty streaks in their arteries and these are the early beginning stages of atherosclerosis.”

The heart surgeon points out a common misconception – that atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries, is something we suddenly “develop” like a disease. In reality, it’s a process that begins inherently within the body to some degree. Rather than appearing out of nowhere, it gradually progresses over time, with multiple factors contributing to and accelerating its course.

He explains, “I can tell you that as a heart surgeon, atherosclerosis develops over multiple decades. But most of us assume that heart disease and hardening of the arteries is something that we get. The truth is that it's something that we have.”

Habits that accelerate the process

There are several factors that accelerate the progression of atherosclerosis – and most of them are well within our control. Habits such as a poor diet, smoking, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, and a sedentary lifestyle all contribute to the gradual buildup within the arteries. Dr London emphasises that it’s these everyday choices, repeated over time, that quietly drive the development of heart disease.

He explains, “What accelerates this process? Well, the things won't surprise you. Poor diet, smoking, high blood pressure, high blood sugars, and inactivity. Now, we have more control than you realize. It's our consistent daily choices that keep you off my operating room table.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.